


One Stupid Mistake that Changes Everything

by Kikileduc



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, BAMF Stiles, Background Relationships, Cliffhangers, De-Aged Derek, Depressed Stiles, Derek Feels, Derek Feels Guilty, Friends to Lovers, Heavy Angst, Hurt Stiles, Lydia is a Bad Friend, M/M, Mystery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pack Dynamics, Past, Past Kate Argent/Derek Hale, Post-Season/Series 03, Scott is a Bad Friend, Sheriff Stilinski Feels, Sick Stiles Stilinski, Slow Build Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Stiles is Pushed Out of the Pack, Tags Contain Spoilers, Temporary Character Death, Tissue Warning, True Alpha Scott McCall, Vampire Stiles Stilinski, stiles is something
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-02-22 04:41:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 60,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13159488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kikileduc/pseuds/Kikileduc
Summary: Shortly after the events of season 3b, everyone is recovering. Stiles feels guilty over the loss of Allison and Aiden. Scott can't look at his friend. Lydia isn't talking to him. Isaac, Ethan, Malia, and Kira are all dealing in their own way. Derek took off again.Fast forward to two months later, things are much the same for Stiles, except his father insisted he get checked out again as the nogitsune had tampered with his son's tests...The results aren't good.Stiles returns to school to find the pack hovering around a de-aged and cluesless Derek and suddenly finds himself on the outside of the pack's happenings.To top it all off his new doctor is a little— weird, to say the least.Can Stiles figure out what happened to Derek and help reverse it while dealing with his own personal issues? How will the pack feel when they need the spastic teen, only to find him missing? And, what is really going on in Beacon Hills?  Can they come together and solve the mystery in time???





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> 12/9/18: I’m back! This story is in the process of a self edit and will finally get an ending and a rather adventurous epilogue.  
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading!

“Dad— What am I supposed to do, now?” Stiles asked his father in a shaky voice.

 

The brown eyed, pale teen was riding home from the hospital in his father’s squad car. The two had yet to speak since receiving the devastating news. After the events of the nogitsune had settled somewhat (the pack was still reeling from their losses), the sheriff thought it might be prudent to have Stiles retake the tests that were manipulated. The results weren’t good.

 

His father took a long time to respond. “We’ll manage, you’re much younger than your mother was— it’s very early onset. Melissa gave us that doctor to visit in the valley. He is supposedly the best in the country. Just lucky for us he likes to keep an eye on his vineyard, too. Only a couple of hours drive, it could be worse…” The older Stilinski’s voice cracked on the last word.

 

They drove in silence for a bit longer before Stiles asked about insurance premiums. His father told him not to worry about it. How could he not? This could easily set back his dad who was already operating with only one income. The teen considered ways he could help offset the cost— no more unnecessary outings with friends, that could be a place to start.

 

It should be a simple goal to achieve too, as he had seen very little of his friends as of late. He understood. He caused Allison and Aiden’s deaths. It wasn’t intentional, there was no way for Stiles to control what his alter ego did, but it didn’t stop him from feeling guilty and it didn’t stop Scott from skirting his eyes away from his best friend whenever they found themselves in a room together.

 

Perhaps Stiles could also get a job? He suggested this while they waited for the results earlier that evening, but given the somber news, he doubted his father would be any more on board with the idea. His dad basically said he would rather Stiles focus on getting his grades back up. Now, he’d probably say something along the lines of how he should focus on enjoying his life now that his days of remembering them were numbered… But, with more tact, and fatherly love.

 

Enjoy his days? That was a thought… have fun in a world where you were responsible for taking out half the hospital and police station? A world in which you stabbed your best friend just to see the look of pain reflected in his expresso colored eyes? A world where you caused your coach to take a crossbow to his abdomen? Or worse yet, a world where your friends tried to save you and paid for it with their lives?

 

He didn’t deserve to enjoy it.

 

Frontotemporal dementia; that was his punishment.

 

***

 

The Stilinskis arrived at home and immediately went their separate ways. The sheriff went to his office where he kept the whiskey and Stiles to his bedroom. He thought about it on the way home, should he bother his best friend with this information? Should he tell the whole pack? They were still recovering, after all. In the end he thought, if it was Scott and he didn’t tell him, he would be hurt and angry. So with great hesitation, Stiles fumbled with his phone.

 

Scott didn’t pick up. Honestly, Stiles wasn’t surprised. Prior to the evil Japanese spirit mess, Stiles had emphasized to the pack on the importance of keeping your phones nearby at all times because Beacon Hills seemed to be full of emergencies. This wasn’t really an emergency, so it’s not like he could blame the alpha for his oversight, this time…

 

He sighed into the voicemail, “Just— give me a call back— or stop by— I have something to tell you, man.”

 

He idly wondered how long it would take for his friend to get back to him.

 

Stiles spent the rest of his weekend looking up jobs he could do from home in the evening. He was a quick typist, a great researcher, and willing to overlook laws. Perhaps he could find pay writing term papers for college students… Anything to help his father offset some of the medical costs.

 

Scott didn’t call him back.

 

***

 

He didn’t see the crooked jawed werewolf on Monday either. Actually, the entire pack was missing. At least he could put off telling them his bad news just a little bit longer….

 

Stiles had his first appointment in Napa on Tuesday. His father took off of work to go with him.

 

Dr. Lavin, was an older gentleman with grey hairs stubbornly speckling his clean cut, it complemented his dark complexion well, giving him a wisdom filled look rather than one of just old age. The man was friendly and straightforward.

 

He was as positive as someone could be when talking about an incurable and terminal disease. Stiles was one of the youngest cases he’d seen, showing very little brain apathy. He seemed positive the teen could live for another ten to fifteen years; a better time span than they were told on Friday.

 

The doctor was more focused on improving the quality of life for Stiles in those later years. So the teen was given a heavy schedule of appointments in hopes that he would complete exercises which should improve his cognitive thinking skills. The poor doctor had met his match in Stiles when it came to wit and he didn’t even know it yet…

 

***

 

The pack was back on Wednesday. Stiles was relieved to see that everyone seemed okay and there were no lasting injuries. When exactly did his life get reduced to judging their supernatural encounter threats by the packs’ collective wound count?

 

Isaac and Scott were chatting merrily with someone who must be a new student, because Stiles did not recognize him, at first. The curly haired beta seemed overly friendly with the newcomer, otherwise Stiles might not have identified him at all.

 

“Is that— Derek?” The mole splattered teen asked as he approached the werewolves in greeting that morning.

 

The student in question was slightly shorter and significantly less built than Stiles had previously seen him. His hair was longer and softer and his face as smooth as a babies bottom. But, it was his green speckled eyes that gave him away. Stiles would recognize those eyes anywhere.

 

The new boy ( _young Derek?_ ) looked more than a little uncomfortable with Stiles approaching.

 

“Ah, yeah— We found him like this, in Mexico,” Scott answered, shuffling his feet a little.

 

Mexico? That was new.

 

“Is he pack too?” Young Derek asked, sniffing the air.

 

It wasn’t the first time Stiles had wondered why it took sixteen years for him to discover the existence of werewolves, they were so obvious sometimes.

 

“Woah,” Stiles said on an exhale. “And he doesn’t remember us? How old are you?”

 

Scott looked ready to argue, but scrunched his face up and turned to Derek, waiting for his answer. Stiles assumed that meant they didn’t even ask him.

 

Derek looked between the two before softly saying, “I’m— I’m fifteen.”

 

“Oh,” Stiles replied. Then his eyes grew wide and he became even paler as he looked directly at Scott and then back to Derek. “Oh, shit. I’m so sorry, man.”

 

Derek raised his eyebrows in confusion. And, yep, that was definitely Derek Hale. Scott looked— murderous.

 

“We weren’t going to tell him!” The true alpha hissed.

 

“What?” Stiles squawked back. “How can you not? He has to be curious. You know that it’s not, shit— 2006 anymore, right? They at least told you that?” Stiles asked the unsure younger teen.

 

“Uhh. Yeah, they did. What else should I know?” Derek turned to Scott. “What are you not telling me? Where is— my pack? Cora should be here, right?” He looked around the halls for his sister.

 

Scott actually pushed Stiles back with more strength than he meant to, thanks to his wolfy capabilities. “Just go, Stiles!” He huffed. “We got this one— you’re not helping…”

 

Stiles looked stricken, but it was nothing compared to how shattered he felt. It must have been readable on his features, because Scott’s face softened a bit.

 

“Look.” Scott muttered, trying to correct himself. “Just— don’t worry about Derek, focus on yourself, you weren’t looking that great after… the nogitsune.” He spit the word. “Just take a break, from—  helping, for now.” The alpha forced a crooked smile as he placed a placating hand on his best friend’s shoulder.

 

Stiles was speechless. Yeah, he wanted to smack his friend for being so naïve and inconsiderate of Derek and his feelings to keep his family’s truth from him, but Scott mentioned something that reminded Stiles why he was trying to get in touch with him over the weekend to begin with. He still needed to tell him about why he hasn’t been looking so good lately, how the doctors did actually find something wrong with him…. Maybe Melissa told him and that was why he was keeping pack stuff from him? Maybe that’s what he meant, why he needed to take a break? Or maybe it was because he was still reeling from the events associated with the nogitsune; would the two friends ever fully move past that? Stiles was a bit confused, but he couldn’t really make up his mind, because Scott was already leading Derek away with Isaac’s help.

 

***

 

Stiles wasn’t really sure where the younger version of Derek was spending his day at Beacon Hills high school but he arrived in the lunchroom to see the new kid wearing the school’s basketball shorts and it was easy to assume he had found a way to stay occupied. He also happened to be sitting in Stiles’ spot at the pack’s table.

 

Stiles considered going over there and forcing everyone to sit a little closer together so he would have room, but the thought of sitting by Scott at the moment was less than appealing. It’s not like they would be talking about the supernatural as Ethan had invited Danny into the table not so long ago and Kira was aware but also really new to the pack and probably wasn’t apart of the current Derek crises. That pack business he was supposed to be staying away from wasn’t the only cause for his hesitation, however.

 

Lydia was there and the two had barely talked since Allison and Aiden’s deaths. Isaac and him seemed to be doing better on that front. As the werewolf came up to him and told him he was happy he was okay after Void Stiles was gone. Even Ethan, who Stiles was more than willing to let land a few werewolf punches because of the loss of his brother, was more understanding and accepting that Stiles and Void Stiles weren’t the same person. Malia was with out a doubt the friendliest towards him, which Stiles was thankful for, as he took the were-coyote aside and explained that they weren’t acting of their own accord in Eichen House’s basement. She agreed and the two moved on seamlessly.

 

It was funny though, watching the group of them all chat merrily with one another, without him. The past two months had been incredibly somber at their lunch table with the loss of their fallen pack members. Perhaps, though, the sadden mood was because of the careful actions everyone, especially Scott, took around Stiles. Maybe he was more of the cause for everyone’s behavior than he had realized. Maybe he should step back and let him handle this one…

 

Stiles stood there, lunch tray in hand, wondering where he would sit instead when Derek let out a full body laugh and all other thoughts were pushed from his mind. He had never heard the werewolf laugh so freely. It was captivating, he threw his head back, with a wide grin and his little bunny teeth poking out. His eyes were alive with a light he had rarely seen from the quiet older version of the man. Was this Derek Hale who didn’t know about Page or Kate or the fire? Stiles thought to himself that perhaps it would have been cruel to tell young Derek about such things, maybe he did ruin everything and make all those around him sad.

 

As Derek’s laughter quieted he lowered his head and his eyes met with Stiles for just a minute. His smile vanished and his eyes narrowed. Stiles couldn’t help but turn and walk away. He just took the teen’s face-splitting grin and turned it into a frown, complete with Derek’s patented eyebrow scrunch all with one glance. Stiles really was the cause of everyone’s foul moods, huh?

 

Confused and sadden by the reaction he got, Stiles found an almost deserted table on the other side of the lunchroom and sat by himself on one end.

 

His phone beeped, and for a fleeting moment he thought maybe it was Scott or even Lydia texting him to see why he didn’t sit with them, but it was his doctor office requesting he come to another appointment the next day. It would be too short of a notice for his dad to be able to attend with him, but he wouldn’t have to come to school again because of the long drive, and that reason alone was why he quickly replied with an, ‘ _Yes_!’

 

A girl had politely asked if he was okay and he shrugged her off and no one else bothered to talk to him for the rest of the lunch hour.

 

 

***

 

Stiles avoided the pack, young Derek included, for the remainder of the day.

 

That was why it was surprising when he was cornered at the end of the school day by Derek Hale, himself. Werewolves and their damn super senses. Stiles had even waited patiently back at his locker for the school to empty. He didn’t want to run into the pack all merrily leaving together.

 

“Stiles.” Derek called, still too high pitched and friendly when compared to the Derek Stiles knew. “I— I wanted to talk.” The werewolf looked expectingly behind him. “Umm, alone, if we could— do you have a car.” He was looking more and more panicked by the moment.

 

Stiles was shocked a little by the request. Scott had basically told him to stay out of it and Derek seemed almost mad at him during lunch and as far as the younger teen knew Stiles wasn’t even really pack, and now that stiles thought about it, maybe he wasn’t? Can you still be pack of you inadvertently cause the death of two pack mates?

 

“We need to hurry, before they find me,” young Derek pleaded. “They think I’m meeting them out on the lacrosse field, but I’m sure they are already looking for me, it’s only a matter of time before they hear us…”

 

Stiles was sure his Derek wasn’t capable of such long and complicated sentences, and maybe it was the curiosity associated with that thought alone that caused him to nod his head and point to the blue Jeep.

 

***

 

Stiles felt they were on the run as they took the turn out of the parking lot at a higher speed than necessary with his passenger ducking down and looking over his shoulder nervously.

 

“Okay,” Stiles said once they were several streets away and certainly out of werewolf hearing range. “Why am I helping you escape the pack?”

 

“Your pack,” Derek corrected. “I need to see mine. My mom won’t freak out to see me so young, like Scott thinks and I need her, I need my alpha.” He sighed.

 

Stiles slammed on his breaks, causing the car behind him to swerve and curse him out as it passed them. Derek’s eyes bled into an unnatural ice blue at the shock of the sudden stop.

 

“What are you doing?!” Derek spat out, looking behind them as another car was forced to go around the stationary vehicle. Stiles only continued to stare at the younger version of his werewolf adversary turned friend.

 

“They didn’t tell you then?” Stiles questioned.

 

“Tell me what?” Derek asked. “That’s why I wanted to talk to you, they are hiding something from me…”

 

Stiles sighed and reached over to lower his passenger side’s visor causing the mirror to flash across Derek’s face. The werewolf froze. He reached up and touched the blue eyes in the reflection slowly.

 

After a pause he turned to Stiles and asked, “how?”

 

Stiles sighed again as he started to drive once more. “I think we should head somewhere they won’t look for you, because it’s a long story. I’m going to take you to my house.”

 

Stiles told Derek the whole sordid tale. Everything he knew about Paige and Ennis, the Argents and Kate and his family. He told him about Laura and Peter and eventually Cora. He told him about Jackson and Isaac and even Erica and Boyd. Derek— cried. He admitted to having a crush on Paige and he knew Miss Argent, the young new teacher. The werewolf timidly asked about seeing his old home in the woods. He even punched a mirror in Stiles's room as he looked at his eyes again after finding out why they were that color. He cursed out Peter several times, but asked sadly where he was now by the time the sun had set and the tale was coming to an end. He was really concerned about Cora’s whereabouts, though, and practically elated when Stiles told him he had her number.

 

Derek was puzzled that Stiles felt he was constantly leaving. He was raised to need his pack and pack stayed close together, so it was odd that Derek was known for leaving everyone for such extended periods of time. Stiles told him that he went with Cora to meet her pack in South America. The werewolf was really sad to hear his sister wanted to stay with her new pack after finding him after all those years apart. Stiles tried to explain that Beacon Hills was just— unstable and unsafe. It was hard for the younger Derek to wrap his head around.

 

Stiles was right to think that Scott wouldn’t come looking for Derek here. He had been missing from the pack for hours now, and no one even called him to ask if he had seen the lost teen. It was alarming, how much was his pack willing to keep from him?

 

Stiles sent Cora a text and set up a time for the siblings to Skype call. He told Cora that Derek was younger now, apparently he was found in a wall in Mexico in his younger form and that Derek had no clue as to why, but the warning wasn’t enough as the two siblings first laid eyes on each other and both let out similar expletives.

 

“I— can’t believe that is you!” Cora said at long last.

 

“You’re so grown up!” Derek accused. “Are you older than me!? You are, aren’t you! You look like— Laura…”

 

The two talked for over an hour and made plans to talk more the next day. Cora reassured Derek that Stiles was trustworthy and he made a good choice, going to him. But, Stiles couldn’t help but disagree. Derek was happy not knowing and he hadn’t so much as smiled until Cora’s face appeared on the screen.

 

Stiles did that to him. It was hard not to feel guilty over that fact.

 

It was almost nine that evening when they herd the sheriff come home and Stiles froze. His dad was in the know, now, and would probably understand… _probably_.

 

They heard the man make his way up the stairs and he tentatively knocked on Stiles's door before pushing it open. Stiles chatted with his dad lightly for a moment before telling him about the added appointment the next day. His dad’s brow creased and he nodded.

 

“I won’t be able to take you, are you okay making that drive?” He asked worriedly.

 

Stiles nodded and the sheriff promised their would be money for the co pay and lunch set out on the counter in the morning and he shut his door and walked away.

 

Stiles stared at the door and and at Derek and wondered if his dad even spotted the other kid who was currently occupying his desk chair. The moment of confusion didn’t last long as the door swung open and the sheriff looked at Derek and asked who he was, directing the question at his son.

 

Stiles explained the situation, omitting the part about the pack excluding him, and the slight kidnapping he was currently doing to get the younger Derek over here to begin with. The sheriff was quiet during the brief explanation and looked at Derek with a slight wonderment.

 

In the end, though, he merely shrugged and asked the two teens if they were hungry. Stiles hadn’t even realized they had skipped dinner but Derek’s face lit up as he told the man he was starving. The sheriff ordered a pizza, which Stiles didn’t protest, as he usually would, because he was just relieved that the increasingly more quiet guest in his room looked happy (happier, at least) once again.

 

Stiles’ dad enjoyed talking sports with the younger Derek and the two talked about all the World Series’ that Derek had missed out on while they ate their late night dinner.

 

Both Stilinskis offered to let the teen stay with them for as long as he liked or needed. Stiles was grateful his dad was being so cool about the whole situation. He told the man so, and his dad only shrugged and said, ‘it’s Beacon Hills, stranger things have happened…’

 

***

 

The next morning Stiles slept in as he had a little bit of time before he had to make his way to the Valley. Derek did too. He asked if he could skip school as well, to which Stiles smiled and reminded him he wasn’t really a student anyways.

 

Scott and the rest of the pack still didn’t call. He figured they would have used their noses to find the missing teen by then and was surprised they hadn’t had that confrontation yet. Derek seemed a little astonished by their lack of prowess too. He told Stiles, that should they show up, he would let them know that Stiles told him the truth and that he was more than a little disappointed that everyone wanted to keep all of it from him.

 

With that little reassurance, Stiles left the fifteen year old to fend for himself and made his way to his appointment.

 

***

 

Dr. Lavin was excited to see Stiles and rather than working on his memory with puzzles or tests, they talked about his life. The doctor seemed to ask a lot of questions about his family and friends and how everyone was reacting to the news of Stiles’s declining health. But, rather than being surprised or disappointed when Stiles admitted that he hadn’t actually told anyone, the doctor smiled and asked why.

 

As the questions became more and more personal, Stiles found himself wondering what the doctor’s motive and reasoning was. Eventually, the older man asked for some blood tests. Stiles was a little hesitant but agreed. Overall, the appointment ended abruptly and early and left the teen feeling more than a little wary and confused.

 

He made his way back to Beacon Hills pondering the reasoning behind the sudden appointment, but thankful for the day off from school and away from his pack.

 

***

 

Derek spent the day talking with Cora and making himself very comfortable in Stiles’s room. It was alarming and kind of— _warming_ , to see the werewolf look so free. He whirled around in the computer chair as he talked animatedly with his sister and asked Stiles about his appointment without prying too much. It was just so opposite of the Derek Stiles knew.

 

Stiles was thankful that all the bombs he dropped on the younger teen didn’t permanently affect him as he had worried they would have. It was such alarming information but dolled out so rapidly and in succession that he wasn’t really sure Derek was actually processing it all. But at least he had Cora who sort of went through the same thing when she was rescued from the alpha pack and subsequently saved by her brother not all that long ago.

 

Stiles hummed to himself as he caught up on homework he had missed from his previous absence and listened idly to the siblings chatting away.

 

He missed the tap on his window. But Derek didn’t.

 

He spun around and marched over and swung it opened all in the blink of an eye. Malia tumbled in, followed by Isaac who called down to Scot to join them as Derek was here.

 

Stiles peered over the edge of his paper he was writing with wide eyes as the weres all made themselves comfortable in his room asking Derek where he has been and why he was here. It took everyone several moments to notice Cora on Stiles’ laptop and Stiles, himself, who looked a little— fearful. Scott was giving him a disappointed look in response.

 

“You couldn’t just keep away from him?” The true alpha accused. “Had to interfere! Deaton is working on a cure. He’s close too. And in the meantime he asked us to keep an eye on the younger Derek because he could have a mental breakdown if he found out about everything, and you just selfishly decided to tell him, anyway!”

 

Stiles didn’t bother trying to defend himself. He looked at his friend, his brother in all but blood, who was staring at him with cold, unforgiving, eyes and simply shook his head in response.

 

“I asked him,” Derek said.

 

But the werewolf went ignored as Isaac sighed and told Stiles that he is ruining everything he touches and that it’s probably best he just stay away from everyone for some time.

 

To Stiles surprised Malia agreed and explained to Stiles that Lydia told her what he did to her in the mental ward’s basement was taking advantage of her and the situation, she seemed unsure but maintained her crossed arms on their alpha’s other side.

 

Scott huffed. “We’ve discussed it, and you’re just not needed. You’ve caused enough damage, and this is just the last straw.” The alpha wolf took a moment and steeled himself so he could look at his former friend directly in his eyes. “We don’t want you in the pack, anymore, just leave us alone, all of us,” he gestured to Derek.

 

Young Derek balked, backing away in his protest. “No,” he stated. “I asked him, I knew you were keeping something from me and I asked him and he told me. That’s not his fault!”

 

Cora agreed but went ignored on the computer’s screen.

 

“You don’t understand,” Scott sighed, addressing Derek in a much more placating tone than he used on Stiles. “You actually agree with us. You helped stop Stiles when the nogitsune took him over and afterward you left to get away from it all because we lost some pack mates and it was too much for you to handle, staying here while we were all hurting— he hurt you too.”

 

Derek’s eyebrows showed his doubt but Scott placed an arm around the younger teen’s shoulder. “Trust me,” he assured. “I’m your alpha.”

 

Isaac nodded encouragingly. Derek looked between them all. He told Cora he would call her back and apologized to Stiles for causing him all this trouble. Scott assured him he didn’t have anything to apologize for and Stiles found himself alone before he could even protest.

 

It was too difficult to focus on homework after that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you so much for all the love!

All Stiles had to do was avoid the pack the next day, which was Friday, and he would be free and clear of the entire mess until Monday. Plenty of time for Deaton to work on the whole aging Derek thing and maybe it could all be forgiven and forgotten…

Naturally, the spastic teen was running late in the morning. He skipped breakfast and jogged right out the door and into a solid brick wall.

 

Derek Hale, still younger than he should be was standing just outside his front door, hand raised and poised to knock when Stiles barreled right into him. While Derek remained unmovable, Stiles bounced backwards in an excellent example of Newton’s third law of motion.

 

“Stiles! Listen, I’m really sorry, are you okay?” The fifteen year old grabbed Stiles's shoulders as he checked him over for injuries. “I talked to Scott, I think he understands…” Derek started to say with a grin before the other teen could even question him for being there.

 

Stiles nodded but doubted the words. “And he knows you’re here?” He asked, skeptically.

 

“Yes.” Derek seemed adamant. “I told him about Cora and using your laptop and Scott understood, he said he would offer his own, but Cora is already planning on calling you and your account is already hooked up with hers and his isn’t, plus she kinda watched everything go down and refused to answer his call yesterday…”

 

“O— kay…” Stiles said slowly, still not used to Derek talking so much. “Scott did bring up a decent point, however, did you get to talk with Deaton? Does he know why you’re— younger than you should be?”

 

Derek frowned.

 

Stiles sighed, why was he constantly doing that to people?

 

“I didn’t,” Derek explained. “But they told me already that he has an idea on how this was possible, and he is working on figuring out a way to reverse it. I— I don’t know about him, they said he was our family’s emissary, but I never met our emissary, so I’m just not sure…”

 

“He was, Peter mentioned him too.” Stiles told the other teen as he thought about the situation.

 

Derek looked much more reassured after Stiles confirmed it.

 

“Did you want to go to school again or are you staying here?” Stiles asked pointing his thumb at the house behind him as he made his way to the Jeep.

 

Derek hesitated. “I was wondering if— would you stay with me? Yesterday was boring, but umm, Cora is going to call at eleven— we can watch a movie until then?”

 

Stiles opened his mouth to respond but didn’t know what to say. A movie actually sounded nice, and this Derek, who talked openly and freely and used complete sentences, had missed out on all of the Avenger movies… His dad wasn’t home, but he somehow thought that the older Stilinski would probably understand. Stiles did tell himself his dad would want him to enjoy his remaining years…

 

So the two found themselves on opposite couches watching the first movie and arguing about who was more of an asset to the team that morning.

 

Ethan sent a text midway asking if Derek was with him and after confirming, warned Stiles to keep an eye on the younger teen. ( _Because the pack was so great at that!?_ ) The text was their only interruption all morning and Cora was due to call not long after the movie wrapped.

 

While Derek talked with Cora, Stiles busied himself checking his inbox on his phone and seeing he already had several request for research papers. So, while his computer was occupied, he started with the subjects he new best.

 

It was past two when Derek nudged Stiles, complaining about being hungry. Stiles was so wrapped up in his paper that he didn’t even realize Derek was no longer talking with his sister. He also didn’t realize that he had skipped breakfast and lunch.

 

Stiles accommodated the younger teen and headed downstairs to make sandwiches for both of them. He jumped when Derek came up behind him offering to help and telling him he didn’t expect Stiles to serve him. The two came back upstairs with the second Avengers movie and a plate full of food.

 

His room was already occupied, however. Scott was offering a hand to Kira, inviting the kitsune to take the empty bed. Stiles raised his eyebrows at the action but bit back a sarcastic retort.

 

“Ah Derek, there you are!” Scott said, as if he was looking for the younger man and not fully aware that he was over here.

 

No one said anything for a full minute, so Kira broke the silence.

 

“Stiles, my dad gave me some homework for you. He said you missed three classes this week, he mentioned that you are approved to miss Tuesdays but not anymore than that and that you should be careful, your already at risk to fall behind with the once a week absences— are you doing okay?” Kira asked with a wide nervous smile.

 

“I already told you, he is fine!” Scott barked out and took the homework from the sword wielder to pass to Stiles. “I knew you’d probably skip today, after what I said yesterday— I get it.” Scott added in a nonchalant tone.

 

“Umm— _thanks_?” Stiles reached for the papers.

 

Neither one of them question his reasons to be absent weekly, so Stiles assumed that meant that Mrs. McCall told Scott and the alpha told the pack about his Frontotemporal dementia. It actually made a little sense, maybe that was why Scott was insisting he back away from the pack, so he could focus on himself.

 

The room was still stuck in an awkward silence as Derek made himself comfortable on the computer chair and started to devour his late lunch.

 

“I actually wasn’t planning on missing today,” Stiles told Kira, “but well, Derek already did school once, and I don’t think he wants a repeat just because he is fifteen again, huh big guy?”

 

Derek raised his eyebrows at the unfamiliar nickname and looked pointedly between himself and Stiles. While Stiles was definitely smaller, Derek was in no means a ‘big guy’ by comparison.

 

“Sorry. You are very good look— _toned_ when you grow up,” Stiles corrected himself. He didn’t miss the way the younger teen’s eyebrows went, if possible, even higher.

 

“We’ll have to figure out a place for you to stay during the days, then,” Scott said, slightly annoyed. “If you don’t want to go to school, you can always stay at my house, you know my mom doesn’t mind.”

 

“And, you can stay here, my dad already gave you the okay!” Stiles said but he stared at Scott when he said it.

 

“It’s probably easier for him to just stay with me…” Scott told his best friend with a look of annoyance.

 

“But he likes to talk with Cora…” Stiles started to argue as he advanced towards Scott, but was interrupted by Kira.

 

“Guys!” Kira yelled. “He isn’t a toy for you to fight over!”

 

Stiles looked behind him at the werewolf in question. He was starting his second sandwich and looked a little smug at being the object of Scott’s and his tug of war.

 

Scott conceded. “He can come over when he likes, it’s— safe for him here, and your dad already knows, so no need to hide who he is… but, I want you staying with me, were still not sure who did this to you and you need to be close to your alpha, just in case.” The werewolf’s eyes flash scarlet for emphasis.

 

Derek instinctively exposed his neck in submission and his eyes went a little darker at the forced action.

 

Kira clapped her hands together. “Good well, now that that’s settled. Scott has something he’d like to tell you!” The bubbly girl said with too much enthusiasm.

 

“Right,” Scott said threw clenched teeth. “About Derek’s predicament. We found him in wolfsbane, but it wasn’t burning him or anything he was just sort of unconscious inside a blanket wrapped in the stuff, in a wall, placed where no one would find him…”

 

Stiles perked up at the information.

 

Scott continued. “Deaton thinks it was a full moon ceremony meant to de-age him, who ever did it, probably wants a regressed Derek for one reason or another… But, He hasn’t found a way to reverse it, yet, so he was— we were hoping you’d do some research and help figure out the ritual we would need?”

 

Stiles swallowed hard. So he wasn’t kicked out of the pack, then?

 

“Just research!” Scott added quickly.

 

Right. He doesn’t want Stiles to overwork himself, makes sense if Melissa told him about the frontotemporal dementia diagnosis. It hurt a little to think his friend was so wrapped up in all this pack business that he hadn’t actually had a moment to talk with Stiles about well, everything. Dying young and loosing his memories soon— Scott was quick to offer the bite last time, but he hadn’t done so with this fate being confirmed, now. Was it because of the nogitsune?

 

Everyone was looking at Stiles. He didn’t realize he was taking so long to respond and he stuttered out an affirmative.

 

“Okay, great! Deaton is expecting you tomorrow,” Scott said on an exhale.

 

“I have a doctor’s appointment, so it’ll have to be pretty late…” Stiles informed them.

 

Derek looked up in concern and pushed the plate of sandwiches across the desk in a silent offering.

 

“The clinic closes at six, can you make it before then?” Scott asked, his annoyance back in place on his face.

 

“Yeah— yes, I should be able to,” Stiles confirmed..

 

“Good. I’ll let him know, he wants to give you a book on moon rituals so you have a place to start.” The alpha said as he made his way to the window again.

 

“Why don’t you use the door anymore?” Stiles asked, the window was usually reserved for one werewolf only, and that one happened to already be inside and was now spinning again in the computer chair.

 

Scott only shrugged as Kira stood up and informed the room that windows were fun as she hopped lightly to the ground below.

 

Scott turned to Derek, “Are you coming? Pack meeting, we have to discuss upping boarder security, in case whoever did this to you comes looking for you here…”

 

Derek nodded and Scott disappeared without so much as a thank you or invite to his friend who just signed himself up to help with the pack’s problems.

 

The fifteen year old paused momentarily before turning back around and enveloping Stiles in a hug. “Thanks for today!” He said in a way too cheery of tone to be his Derek. “I’ll— we can maybe watch the next one on Sunday?” He asked timidly.

 

“Yeah,” Stiles replied once he regained his composure. “We have all the Thor and Captain America movies to get through, too.”

 

Derek nodded and shoved the plate of sandwiches towards the other teen, “make sure to eat something!” He warned and then proceeded to exit through the bedroom door.

 

Stiles listened as the footsteps faded down the staircase and the sound of the front door was heard opening and closing. He preceded to take a bite of a sandwich before scooping up his laptop and starting his google searches on moon rituals.

 

***

 

The appointment with Doctor Lavin was much more similar to his first one in terms of memory tests and cognitive thinking games. The Stilinskis entered the posh building and were quickly swept into different rooms.

 

Stiles was placed in the observational room which was furnished with overly comfortable squishy armchairs and warm colors. A table in the corner offered a wide variety of snacks; healthy vegetable sticks and dips as well as unhealthy doughnuts and miniature cakes.

 

The sheriff was allowed to watch from the other side of the one-way mirror. His son had grown up at the station and was not unfamiliar with how the mirrors worked. He knew Stiles was aware that he was right on the other side. A nurse came in and offered the older Stilinski a beverage and even volunteered to snagged him a doughnut from the table he eyed in the other room.

 

The nurse was young and blond and all smiles. She entered the observational room and told Stiles to help himself to the refreshments while he waited for Dr. Lavin, before grabbing a pastry from the table herself.

 

Stiles smiled wide and turned to the mirror, “that better not be for you dad!”

 

The sheriff shook his head and thanked the nurse for the offending object before placing it on his lap and promising himself he would only nibble.

 

Dr. Lavin entered carrying an assortment of papers and toys. He was rather nice and asked how Stiles was doing before allowing the teen to pick which game to do first. He chose a 3D ball and marble game where he had to get the small metal ball through the maze by flipping and rotating the larger one. The doctor seemed impressed with how quickly he completed it.

 

He moved on and gave Stiles a list of complicated word puzzles next. As Stiles sat quietly working out the conclusions, the doctor helped himself to a large plate of the healthier foods and placed it on the table between himself and Stiles. He proceeded to nibble on a carrot while Stiles continued to work.

 

The day turned from morning into afternoon while Stiles worked on different puzzles. Eventually the doctor got up, telling him he was doing fantastic and to keep it up and that he would check on him soon.

 

Dr. Lavin went and visited the sheriff who was watching everything and couldn’t be more proud as his son continued to ace test after test. He beamed at the doctor as he entered.

 

“He’s doing great, right?” The sheriff asked, his smiles set firmly in place.

 

The doctor nodded as he sat down next to the sheriff, eyeing the napkin covered with crumbs which was all that was left of the doughnut the nurse brought him. “He is doing great, just wonderful— did you two stop for breakfast on the trip over? I know you have a bit of a drive…”

 

The sheriff shook his head, “no, we were running a little behind…”

 

“Understandable,” Dr. Lavin agreed. “It’s so rare to have a patient be confirmed at such a young age, his brain is virtually intact. And, he is so smart, I’m sure you’re very proud of him.”

 

The doctor continued to talk with the sheriff about his late wife and her progression as Stiles finished with the puzzle and looked idly around the room, stopping every so often on the mirror in which he knew his father and probably the doctor were watching him.

 

“He’s a sheriff’s kid,” the older Stilinski reminded him. “If you were hoping to get some unbiased observation, I can tell you he knows we’re here and watching!”

 

The doctor assured the man that he would never of doubted Stiles in the least as he invited the sheriff to join him in the observational room so the three of them could talk.

 

“Great, Stiles! You did just wonderful, today.” Dr. Lavin assured the fidgety teen as they entered the room. “We have an established base line, a starting point. Over your next couple of appointments here, we will continue with some of the same types of puzzles and I’ll occasionally throw in a new one to keep you on your toes, really, you did excellent…”

 

The doctor reached for another carrot stick and mildly offered the plate to both the sheriff and Stiles. Stiles was quick to deny the plate, but the sheriff feeling guilty over the doughnut, was eager to except a celery stick as repentance.

 

“Are you not hungry?” Dr. Lavin asked Stiles as he gathered some of the paperwork up.

 

“No, not really,” Stiles replied easily, his growing unease from the last appointment was put to rest as the doctor was far less prying this time around.

 

“I see. When was the last time you ate?”

 

This question caused the sheriff to frown. They didn’t have breakfast that morning and he was working late the night before, he wasn’t sure what his son had for dinner.

 

Stiles shuffled his feet, guiltily. “I had a sandwich, yesterday.”

 

“For dinner?” The sheriff prompted.

 

“Uhh for lunch?” Stiles asked, rather than stated.

 

“What else did you have yesterday?” Dr. Lavin asked not unkindly.

 

Stiles was silent as he thought about it…

 

Before he could admit that he hadn’t had anything else the doctor turned to the sheriff. “I know you experienced this with Claudia.” Stiles paled at the casual reference to his mother. “She started to forget meals?”

 

“She— did.” The sheriff admitted with a sideways glance at his son. “I ummm, came home more than once to a rather hungry and upset Stiles before we really knew anything was wrong— had a lot of late night cereal for dinner, you and I.” He added with a wistful look. “Your mom would always cave and join us— in the beginning…”

 

Stiles remembered. He was probably seven and his dad would let him stay up past his bedtime and have cereal while watching cartoons in the living room with him. It was fun, he had no idea it was because his mom had forgotten to feed him…

 

“We started setting timers once it became a daily occurrence, Claudia knew that the buzzer meant she had to eat and feed her son— it worked for a little bit…”

 

Stiles watched his dad’s face fall.

 

“Okay, I think it’s safe to say that your probably just experiencing a similar lack of awareness. You don’t feel hungry and you don’t notice that you missed a meal.” Dr. Lavin surmised. “It’s probably been going on longer than you know— your records show that you’re on Adderall. That is a big contributing factor for skipping meals, too. So please don’t be alarmed by this revelation. It’s to be expected. And, honestly, you nailed the cognitive tests and that’s when we really have to worry…”

 

“So, what should we do?” The sheriff asked, obviously much more concerned about this than the doctor.

 

“I think you should start with setting alarms, like you said, that did work for your wife, and nowadays your alarm could be much more discreet.” The doctor added jovially. “The other thing I wanted to talk to you about— you are exceptionally young— I’d like to do a case study on you. It would mean extra appointments. I know you drive such a long distance, so I was considering doing any additional appointments at Beacon Hills Memorial. I spoke with the hospital and they were excited at the prospect and of course the study will exempt you from personal costs…”

 

Stiles looked at his father who was ready to deny the request. He didn’t want his son being poked and prodded more than necessary and he didn’t want him labeled or reduced to a case study number either.

 

“Dad,” Stiles interrupted. “We really can’t afford not to accept this.”

 

“Don’t worry about the bills. The station has excellent insurance…”

 

“With bi-weekly co pays. That’s going to add up quickly, it already is,” Stiles attempted to reason. “Lets at least consider it.”

 

The doctor seemed satisfied with that answer and Stiles’s father begrudgingly agreed to think about the offer.

 

The two went out for a late lunch (Doctor’s orders, the sheriff reminded his son as he bit into his double cheeseburger) before heading back to Beacon Hills.

 

The result had Stiles scrambling to get out of the police cruiser and into his Jeep so he wouldn’t miss Deaton at the clinic. The vet was just closing up when Stiles came barging in, his phone ringing madly from his back pocket reminding the young man it was dinner time.

 

Stiles was spewing his apologies while simultaneously trying to silence the annoying shrill. His dad recommended the worst combination of beeps and buzzes for the newly set reminders, Stiles was going to have to change it, he wondered if silencing the alarm would defeat the purpose entirely.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m late,” Stiles said again once he was no longer trying to talk over the sound from his phone.

 

Deaton didn’t seem too impressed and merely frowned in response.

 

“You have a book for me? Scott said— “ Stiles informed the vet, now a little unsure as the older man had barely moved since he barreled in.

 

“I do,” Dr. Deaton interrupted. “It’s on moon cycles and Druidic rituals. As I’m the Druid, I think it would be best you do not attempt anything you read, but Mr. McCall felt it would be good to keep you on task on finding a cure for our young Mr. Hale.” The vet went into his office.

 

So Deaton didn’t really want his help? Why does he speak in such riddles?

 

Deaton returned and passed a rather old and large book to him. “Druidic rituals— please don’t attempt anything on your own…”

 

“Okay— is, is that all?” Stiles asked a bit dumbly. “Do you know how Derek grew— younger?”

 

“That one is a bit more advanced than this book, more complicated…” Deaton said, not really answering the question as he moved towards the exit.

 

That’s it, then, nothing else…

 

Stiles drove home and immediately started to read his new book, putting the rest of the stressful day behind him.

 

***

 

The sheriff was working on Sunday, so Stiles assumed he would have a quiet day at home and hopefully get a good start on fixing Derek. It certainly started out that way.

 

The first thing he discovered is that anyone, druid or not could conduct moon rituals. You just had to believe in what you were doing; it was all about intent. The second thing he was sure of is that the moon effects shifters, all of them, so Malia feels the pull even though she was a coyote. This all made sense.

 

Hours later, after hitting the snooze on his alarm several times, the pale teen decided it was time he should take a break. He had a handful of reports on the subject printed and highlighted for ease of use. He took a moment to file them with color coded tabs and made his way on to the landing above the stairs, that’s when he heard it; the sound of water boiling and someone shuffling around, someone who shouldn’t be there as his father was definitely still at work.

 

Stiles reached for his ever present baseball bat, one that was somewhat recently upgraded to aluminum, as the wooden one broke, and then promptly tested for electromagnetic capabilities as it was bashed into an open electrical unit. This bat was top notch and more than a match for whoever was helping themselves in his kitchen.

 

The spastic teen quieted his steps to the best of his abilities as he descended the stairs. He crept along the flooring trying to avoid all known squeaky floor boards. He silently raised the bat for an optimal striking position and rounded the corner to attack the intruder in the kitchen.

 

“Ahhhhh!” Stiles announced his presence with a yell worthy of a warrior as he barged into the kitchen and swung the bat down all in the same motion.

 

Derek caught it lazily with one hand while he stirred the containments of the pot with the other. The teen was rosy faced from the heat of the kitchen and grinning at Stiles’ failed attempt to take him out with the bat. The oddest part, however, was that Derek was wearing a green and white striped apron; the sheriff’s grilling apron.

 

Stiles was speechless. Derek looked— smug.

 

“Your dad picked up Melissa this morning, her car is acting up— again.” Derek started to explain as it seemed Stiles’s brain was just not able to catch up. “He mentioned that you might forget about lunch as you were currently so deep in researching how to— fix me. He told me I was welcomed to come by and force you to take a break. Told me where the spare key is kept and everything.”

 

Stiles managed to blink.

 

“I’m not much of a cook, but I can boil water and heat a pasta sauce…” Derek continued pointing to the pans. “Hope you don’t mind— you didn’t respond when I called for you, I figured I’d let you work until it was done, your dad mentioned you would have an alarm set for lunch, and I’m assuming that’s the beeping you kept ignoring! Listen, thanks for helping me, but you’ll be no help to anyone of you pass out from starvation!” He said the last bit with a more serious tone.

 

“You talk so much— it’s— _weird_ ,” Stiles blurted out before he could refrain himself.

 

Derek chuckled. He actually laughed! And cocked his head to the side as he asked if that is supposed to be an insult.

 

The two teens continued their banter while the younger one cooked. Stiles sat on the counter and ‘supervised.’ After lunch was done, spaghetti and red sauce, they made their way into the living room to watch the second Avengers movie, Stiles’s research laid upstairs forgotten.

 

Stiles told Derek that he has a car, a really nice one, that might help Melissa out. Derek seemed surprised and was not aware of his loft either. The pair made plans to visit the place the next evening in hopes of his vehicle being there. Derek admitted that he had worked on older cars with his dad during the summer, sometimes, and that he might be able to take a better look at Mrs. McCall’s car.

 

The stubble free Derek shared more stories of life with his family and before he knew it, Stiles gained a new perspective on the werewolf, one that was vastly more intimate than he ever imagined he could or would.

 

In turn, Stiles told him about his mom and Scott as a kid and what all the members of the pack were like. Derek seemed surprised with the respect in which the older teen had when talking about each of them. They talked about pack, his pack and family, and how much closer they all seemed.

 

Before they knew it, it was dark outside, they had helped themselves to seconds of the plain pasta for dinner, and their was a knock on the door.

 

Stiles expected his dad home from work any minute, but surely his father wouldn’t be knocking.

 

It was Lydia. The strawberry-blond banshee invited herself inside when Stiles open the door and greeted her. She continued to make her way further in and addressed Derek rather than Stiles, himself.

 

“Scott asked me to pick you up on my way over. I was going to meet with Kira at his house,” She informed them. It wasn’t really phrased as a question.

 

Both boys exchanged looks of disbelief.

 

She turned icily to Stiles after that. “How is the research coming along on restoring him?” She eyed the empty plates and paused movie (Iron Man 3) as she asked.

 

“It’s getting there.” Stiles shifted his weight around defensively and mouthing that he was sorry to Derek.

 

“I’m sure,” she said, doubtfully.

 

Derek didn’t know what to think but his eye brows looked like he felt guilty, he probably shouldn’t have created such a distraction…

 

Begrudgingly, he allowed the banshee to escort him to the door. Lydia reminded Stiles, unnecessarily, that his goal was to help Derek, not befriend him.

 

Stiles was speechless, but his father came to his rescue as the older Stilinski chose that moment to arrive home. He greeted all three of them jovially enough and thanked Derek for keeping an eye on his trouble maker of a son.

 

Lydia excused herself and Derek while Stiles offered to make his father a plate of spaghetti as he asked the man about his day.

 

***

 

Monday at school was a lot of avoiding Scott and the pack, which was easy to do as Stiles now had mounds of missed homework to catch-up on. His father wasn’t angry, per se, about him missing Friday, but the sheriff made it clear that he was expected to keep his grades up, so he could hardly take the make up work lightly.

 

The avoidance and assignments were great, in terms of distracting Stiles. Before he knew it, the school’s final bell rang, indicating the day was over. He didn’t even hesitate as he made his way out to his vehicle this time because the pack was actually the farthest thing from his mind.

 

“Hey wait!”

 

“ _Wait_!!”

 

“Stiles! Wait for me!”

 

It was young Derek jogging up at an appropriate human pace, holding up a granola bar and wearing what was quickly becoming a familiar smile.

 

“You didn’t forget, did you?” He asked as he slid himself into the passenger side of the blue Jeep. “My loft?”

 

Stiles smiled. He did actually, forget, that is.

 

Derek passed him the granola, telling him he didn’t see him at lunch. Stiles felt a wave of guilt, because he didn’t even realize that Derek snuck onto the campus again that day. He must have done an even better job at ignoring the pack than he thought!

 

Stiles told Derek about the epic raver they threw in his loft and his older counterpart’s less than pleased reaction. This Derek called himself a few choice words for breaking up the fun and they laughed merrily at the audacity of the situation all the way over to the loft.

 

The building was bleak and dark looking on the outside, with an abandoned feel. Derek’s eyebrows showed his apprehension. His acceptance of the place improved once he saw the wide open space inside.

 

The happy mood they created on the drive over didn’t last long however, as once they entered the loft a clanging was heard indicating that someone was descending the metal spiral staircase…

 

Kate Argent, who should be dead, stood there with her signature blond hair and self satisfied smirk. In addition to the familiar features was a set of claws and fangs and glowing green eyes…

 

“Welcome home, Derek!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I had another request for a Stiles hug, it was in this chapter but made more sense in a scene in the next one, so sorry you'll have to wait for that... next chapter is almost done so even though this is a short one one the next should be up in a couple of days...

Derek looked at the were-creature in front of him with obvious confusion. He turned to Stiles for an indication of how he should be reacting. The older teen, who left his bat in the car, boldly stepped forward, protecting the younger despite the fact he was a werewolf. Stiles squared his shoulders in what he hoped was a stance of strength and confidence and not the fear that he felt. 

 

“Stiles.” Kate greeted as she came to the bottom of the landing.

 

“Kate.” Stiles spat back, just as coldly. 

 

Derek had a moment of dawning relation. This was Kate Argent, his teacher, his teacher who everyone told him was dead, but also his teacher who murdered his family. His sudden anger overwhelmed all other instincts and Stiles found himself between two fully wolfed out weres. Except the new one wasn’t just a werewolf…. Kate had a purplish blue tinge to her skin and… spots, like leopard spots?

 

Derek roared and Kate responded with a louder one in turn. Stiles couldn’t help but shield his ears. 

 

“Derek.” Kate said, a bit distorted as she wasn’t as used to speaking with fangs as the others. “We were friends once… more than,” she added as she looked at the teen, hungrily. “Nothing has to change…” Kate’s whole body perked up as she lowered her voice to almost a purr. She slowly blinked her emerald green eyes. “We have even more in common, now…”

 

Derek looked… disgusted. “You… you killed my family!” He managed to say, but the shakiness in his voice gave away his fear. “Stay… stay away from… us!”

 

“What are you talking about?” Kate purred, again. “Who told you such a thing? Was it this one? He likes you, you know? You can smell it, right…” As she spoke she circled the teens forcing their positions into resembling something more of a triangle. 

 

“He likes you, the older you, and is probably willing to tell you anything when your so young and vulnerable, anything to make you trust him…” The were-creature continued.

 

Stiles paled. Could he deny such a claim without both of them hearing a skip in his heartbeat. He did find older Derek... alluring, after he stopped finding the man intimidating. But, the werewolf never stayed put for too long and he doubted the older man had a clue and even if he did, Stiles knew the feelings wouldn’t be reciprocated… Stiles couldn’t deny liking younger Derek either, he has really enjoyed hanging out with the teen. He wouldn’t be able to lie about that, at all.

 

Derek looked uneasily at both of them now. He wondered why Stiles wasn’t defending himself. 

 

“You see!” Kate interrupted the wordless stand off. “He does… he is willing to tell you anything, you can’t trust him… come with me, I’ll tell you who really killed your family and we’ll go after them together.”

 

She held one clawed hand out and swept her blond hair out of her face with the other in an attempt to look… modest? It didn’t work for her; her new features made her inner predator more noticeable than ever. 

 

“What! No!” Stiles found his words at last. “Derek! You can’t trust her!”

 

“You can’t trust him, Derek! He’s playing you for his own agenda…” Kate slimily said. “Do you remember what he did? He almost ruined your pack, your new pack, single handed, he let a demon in, killed my niece!” She roared that last bit and lunged at Stiles who threw his hands up in front of his face as he tripped and was pinned to the ground. 

 

Kate was fast in her cat like form and nicked his forearm before Derek, with his werewolf strength, was able to throw her off. 

 

“Leave him alone!” Derek roared. 

 

Kate smirked. “Ask him… where is Allison? She was apart of the new pack of rift raft teen’s that you created…” she wasn’t able to keep the disdain from her voice this time. “She died… and it was all your fault, huh Stiles?”

 

“Stop it!” Stiles yelled at her. “I didn’t mean for it… for any of them to get hurt! I didn’t… the nogitsune, it wasn’t my fault…”

 

“Ah, but it was.” Kate argued back.

 

It was clear that she thought she found an opening to work in order to separate the two teens and convince Derek to leave with her. She wouldn’t pass up that opportunity. Stiles looked shattered and the newly formed shifter didn’t even twist her knife yet. 

 

“You killed them! The hospital was a massacre! The explosion at the sheriff’s station! You almost killed your dad!”

 

“I couldn’t stop it…” the paler teen admitted weekly.

 

“Murderer!” Kate spat. “How can you trust anything he says?” She turned to Derek who was looking at the two with disbelief written firmly in his eyebrows. 

 

Stiles was crying, steady streams that went unnoticed. “I’m sorry…” he whispered brokenly. 

 

Derek nodded and turned to Kate.

 

The were-creature had a large victorious smile on her face. She held her arms out invitingly. “I bet he lied about a lot of things, I can help you…”

 

“Leave!” Derek said savagely. “Get out of here, this is my loft.” 

 

Kate huffed in annoyance. “Don’t be silly, we were great, you and I” She tilted her head seductively, giving the act one last attempt. 

 

Derek didn’t respond with words and merely made his way across the room to attack. As newly formed of a creature as she was, Kate didn’t hesitate to move out of the way of the blow, darting across the open space to the loft doors, relying on her speed rather than skill.

 

“Are you sure you can trust him?” She spat angrily as she swung open the doors. 

 

Derek didn’t give her the satisfaction of a response as his next attack was aimed at her head. The faster were made it outside in the nick of time and Derek slammed the loft shut while simultaneously letting out a rage filled roar. 

 

Stiles stood rooted to his spot still occasionally telling the nearly empty room he was sorry. 

 

Derek sighed, he didn’t know where to begin, but the smell of blood, Stiles’s blood, from the cut on his arm seemed a good of a place to start as any… 

 

“Do you know where I keep the first aid kit?” The werewolf asked timidly, looking around the scarcely furnished place with a scowl. 

 

“I put one in the bathroom… You laughed at me, werewolf healing and all, but it came in handy after the alpha pack…” Stiles mumbled and made his way to the bathroom. 

 

Derek beat him to it. 

 

“You don’t have to,” Stiles began to protest. “I can manage it, honest, and then I can take you to Scott if you want, after…”

 

“Scott?” Derek asked, confused.

 

“We have to tell him that Kate’s alive... and a were-something… and in town... and after you apparently…” Stiles began to explain. “Plus she is right, I… I was possessed by the nogitsune, a trickster spirit… Allison and Aiden, they were both pack and both died because of me… you left town just after, like Scott said. You went looking for Peter, didn’t even say goodbye, but you usually don’t…”

 

Derek sighed deeply. 

 

“I sound like a real asshole sometimes…” he muttered at long last. “Ethan told me about his brother and the alpha pack and Erica and Boyd… Scott told me about Allison. I don’t blame you. Do you blame me for losing Boyd?”

 

Stiles shook his head and looked in the mirror at his freshly bandaged cut, approving the work the werewolf did. 

 

“We still need to tell Scott, it’s probably best we tell him in person…” Stiles conceded. “And, ...thanks.” He smiled although his eyes held none of their usual brightness. 

 

The pair made their way back down to the Jeep after Derek confirmed that Kate was no longer around. 

 

“He loved her… so did Isaac… I get it, why they have a hard time forgiving me… it should have been me that died… I wish it was me…” 

 

Derek stopped dead in his tracks. 

 

Stiles didn’t even notice the absence of the man next to him as his head was still swirling with all the thoughts of self loathing and regret. 

 

He started the Jeep and looked up, noticing that Derek still hadn’t moved. 

 

“Don’t ever say anything like that again…” Derek called out when he realized he had Stiles’s attention once more. 

 

Stiles stared but didn’t make any other notion that he had heard his… friend. 

 

Younger Derek jogged to catch up. “I mean it. I don’t know why I’m always leaving the pack behind in the future… or my future. But I know I would hate for anything to happen to you, I think… I think the Derek you know has had a long time to brood over his family and he doesn’t know how to be pack anymore, but I know he would hate for anything to have happen to any of you… I can feel it, the pack bond. It’s still there.”

 

What could Stiles say to that? A part of him wanted to argue that older Derek wouldn’t have cared, he left for Cora he left again to find Peter, he was dealing with the loss of Erica and Boyd and even his alpha power. He didn’t have time to worry about Stiles. Young Derek just didn’t understand that…

 

*** 

 

Scott was at the vet clinic and as soon as Stiles text him to tell him he was going to meet them there, he called the rest of the pack. Everyone showed up relatively quickly, even Danny. Stiles assumed that meant the lacrosse goalie was officially in the know, now. 

 

Once they all arrived and were shuffled into an examination room by a disgruntled Doctor Deaton, Stiles told them that Kate was back, alive, and supernatural.

 

At first no one believed him…

 

“So, she’s not dead and a were-something?” Lydia asked, skepticism bleeding into her tone. 

 

“Are you sure?” Isaac questioned, with a glance at Derek, looking for his confirmation. 

 

“What were you doing at the loft anyways?” Scott asked. “Weren’t you supposed to be working on fixing him?” He indicated the werewolf in the corner who was all but being ignored as every member of the pack continued to berate and doubt Stiles.

 

“I am confident I’ll have the correct format after I visit with a colleague, I should have him back to normal in a couple of months.” Dr. Deaton piped up as he invited himself into the crowded exam room. “What did this were creature look like exactly, Mr. Stilinski?” 

 

Ethan and Malia, who were looking bored off to one side of the room, perked up at the question. Stiles describe Kate again and Malia giggled. 

 

“Are you sure she was purple?” The were-coyote asked… “What is she, like a were-octopus?”

 

“Were-Jaguar, it’s a creature of vengeance and it’s certainly possible.” The vet told the group ominously. “I would guess she has a vendetta, it was Peter that… clawed her? Don’t forget that a shifter can reflect the person within…”

 

The teens all glanced nervously around at that, suddenly taking the situation seriously and no longer doubting the two teens. 

 

“And, why do you think she is after Derek?” Scott asked, trying to regain control of the meeting. 

 

“Uhh, because she asked him to go with her, like ten times…” Stiles replied sarcastically. “She wasn’t surprised he was so young, and certainly attempted to persuade him to trust her, I bet she did this to him!” As soon as he said it, Stiles knew in his gut that he was right. It just made sense, all he had to do was figure out why… 

 

“She wouldn’t have been able to, without the help of a druid.” Deaton reminded them all. 

 

“Yes, but I was doing research on that and it really is all about belief. If you think about it as say a religion, anyone could join if they wanted to and truly believed… so she could, I could, we all could… really. Anyone can follow the instructions in that ritual. I mean, it’s not like Druids are born? Right?” Stiles asked the vet with a slight impatience.

 

“We are in fact typically raised to believe… it is not something that could happen over night…” The vet argued. He looked throughly put out by the outlandish claim. “The ritual you are talking about is very complex, how would she have found it on her own?”

 

“I found it. And, I’m pretty sure I could do the ritual, it didn’t even require a second chanter…” As Stiles said it he glanced curiously at Scott, obviously wondering if it would work on restoring his friend to, well, his friend. 

 

“It wasn’t in the book I gave you!” The vet retaliated, clearly getting upset now.

 

“No, but I wanted to include it in my notes, so I found it!” Stiles’s temper was rising with his voice.

 

“The ways of the druid are supposed to be deeply guarded secrets, I would suffice to think that Miss Argent wouldn’t be capable of such a feat. I regret having to repeat myself, but only a druid would be able to.” Dr. Deaton told Scott, clearly over arguing with the teen.

 

“But it worked for me, when I believed in the mountain ash, I made it last enough to complete the circle… and I certainly wasn’t raised to be a druid, I’m not even Christian, I’m just nothing…” The pale teen disagreed.

 

“That is true, but you were just doing as I told you, it would take years of focus and discipline for you to truly understand.” Deaton said in a tone that suggested the discussion was over. 

 

“But…” Stiles began.

 

“No.” Scott interrupted. “She would have needed help, if she did this to Derek at all… Stiles, you’re supposed to be researching this stuff! Do you even want the old Derek back? I feel like your more interested in becoming best friends with this new one!” The true alpha accused.

 

“Of course I want Derek back!” Stiles attempted to defend himself. 

 

“Guys!” Kira squeaked. “We need to focus on this Kate woman… who is she?”

 

Scott told the pack members who were unaware about Allison’s supposedly dead aunt. Danny had a lot of questions, but brought up a good point, someone should contact Chris. He might have known, maybe even have helped her, but if he didn’t, he needs to be informed, he did turn his back on their family’s off-the-book ways. Isaac volunteered. All they knew about the hunter was that he was in France, but the curly haired wolf was given an address before the older man left. 

 

“I know she was a hunter,” Ethan stated to say once everyone was lulled into a heavy silence. “But, she’s a shifter now… one of us, maybe she doesn’t even mean to do us harm?”

 

Scott quickly agreed, thinking of Allison and how she mourned the loss of her mother and then aunt back to back, and how she would be happy to know her aunt survived after all. 

 

“What? No!” Stiles yelled as soon as Scott started to nod. “Did you forget? She killed the Hales… almost all of them… and tried to kill half of us as well! Yourself included, Scotty!” Stiles held up his bandaged arm for emphasis as he narrowed his eyes at his best friend in disbelief.

 

Scott stilled and whirled to look at Derek who looked… murderous. 

 

“You’re right.” The alpha told room the at large while still looking at the born werewolf. “I’m sorry, we can’t trust her…”

 

“No.” Derek agreed. “We can’t…” He flexed his clawed hand and started to mumble a mantra to himself, reeling in his anger and therefore controlling his wolf. 

 

“You can’t go after her alone, either!” Scott told Derek. “I know you want to, but we’ll have to stick together on this one, she is a hunter…”

 

“With were-jaguar speed.” Stiles reminded everyone. “She’s fast, possibly faster than you…” He addressed Scott. 

 

“Faster than an alpha? A true alpha?” Lydia scoffed. 

 

“She was faster than me.” Derek told the banshee. 

 

The strawberry blond merely pursed her lips.

 

“We need a plan.” Scott announced. “I think we should stick together until we know for certain what she wants…”

 

“I’m pretty sure she wants Derek.” Stiles said annoyed that he was having to repeat himself. 

 

“Listen, we’ll discuss this as a pack. You just focus on finding the ritual to restore him and I’ll worry about protecting him from this new threat…” Scott lowered his voice and steered the human towards the door. “I’ll let you know if we need you for anything else…”

 

Stiles was ready to argue. But a vengeful part of him thought about how much Scott would be eating those words when he turned out to be right all along and Kate made a move for the fifteen year old. As soon as the thought entered his mind, however, his stomach churned unpleasantly, and he almost couldn’t escape the room fast enough… how could he even think of such a thing.

 

Before he allowed himself to be pushed fully from the room he turned around and looked at the younger teen who looked… heartbroken at seeing his friend being manhandled to the door. “Keep your guard up! I’ll have my dad put out a trace on your missing car, and I’m sorry for earlier… I’m fine, really!” Stiles forced his voice to sound unaffected when he was anything but that.

 

“Wait!” Danny called, giving his boyfriend a reassuring squeeze of his hand. “I’ll go with him, you just said we should stick together, and as I’m new to the whole pack thing and only a human too, I should make sure he gets home okay.” 

 

Stiles was grateful but also wanted solitude to bask in his misery. Ethan looked ready to protest. Danny, himself, looked determined. Derek was grateful and maybe even a little wistful as Danny crossed the room towards the doorway, but Scott furrowed his brow. 

 

“You don’t have to, I’m sure he isn’t going to be a target, she could have hurt him if she wanted to earlier…” The alpha said without really thinking. 

 

Danny frowned. “He’s your best friend!” 

 

“Yeah, but he killed Allison…” the alpha blurted out, without meaning to. “I mean…” What could he say to excuse himself after that?

 

Stiles was shaking now. He had to leave. He didn’t wait to see if Danny was coming with him or not, the usually spastic teen rushed out of the clinic, causing a small disturbance in the lobby and out to his Jeep. 

 

He fumbled with his keys and the lock. That was all the time Danny needed to catch up and place a still hand on the smaller teen’s shaking one. 

 

“Let me drive you.”

 

They rode in silence. 

 

Danny was unwilling to leave his classmate alone while he was so hurt and upset, so the two hung out in close to silence in the paler teen’s room. 

 

The lacrosse goalie kept himself busy reading the different files Stiles kept on the supernatural. He silently agreed with Stiles that anyone could do what a druid does if they believed and he proved it right when he started to manipulate a small pile of mountain ash into perfect circles around himself. 

 

Eventually Stiles noticed what he was doing and started to throw out pointers and suggestions. 

 

“We should probably keep this on ourselves at all times, with Kate on the loose…” The bigger teen suggested once night had fallen and he felt they had maintained their silence long enough.

 

Stiles huffed and agreed, then proceeded to vent. Danny assured him that Scott would come around and that loosing Allison was just really hard for his friend. Stiles agreed with the last part, at least. He also cooled down enough to thank Danny for coming with him. 

 

Danny asked if he would see the teen the next day at school, hinting that the lunch table is too quiet without him. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on which one was asked, Stiles had an appointment in Napa Valley the next day and was going to miss again. 

 

Danny didn’t say anything, but was clearly wondering if that was just an excuse. He called Ethan who came by to pick him up and made a point of checking to make sure Stiles was okay too before driving away. 

 

Stiles thought about calling Scott to make up. He also thought about calling Scott to tell the alpha to get his head out of his ass. But more than either of those options, he wanted to call and ask to talk with Derek, but in the end he called Cora and told her about Kate and his worries. She was really concerned and agreed with Stiles that her brother seemed like a likely target for the new were-creature. 

 

*** 

 

Due to a break-in at the local shooting range, Stiles’s dad was unable to attend his doctor appointment with him. Dr. Lavin didn’t seem to mind and took the opportunity to press for a confirmation on wether or not Stiles would partake in the patient study. 

 

As a minor, he was unable to give explicit permission but the two agreed Saturday’s appointment could take place in Beacon Hills and they would have a secondary one on Sunday. This seemed to placate the doctor who indicated that time was of the essence. 

 

Stiles aced the mind tests again and Dr. Lavin suggested he keep a food journal so the teen would be better at reporting what he ate at their next visit. Before he was released for that day, however, the doctor asked him to have lunch with him, just to make sure he had a decent meal before the long drive home. 

 

It was awkward to say the least. Dr. Lavin barely touched his food, himself, choosing rather, to ask about Stiles and his friends and wether or not the teen had told them about his ordeal yet. This time he seemed a little more concerned when Stiles admitted that he hadn’t and he recommended him to do so soon. The subject of his friends was a tough one for Stiles in general, so the conversation was rather short. 

 

“See you in Beacon Hills on Saturday!” The doctor called as Stiles was finally released. “I’ve heard wonderful things about that town!”

 

Where did the doctor get his news? Stiles wondered as he forced a grin and nodded.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some major hints are dropped in this one, good luck spotting them! Next chapter will probably not be until next weekend, but I'll try to get it up quicker if I can! 
> 
> Thanks for reading!

Stiles was sure he would be seeing very little of young Derek until Kate was cornered and interrogated, or worse… So naturally, it was a surprise when the fifteen year old werewolf showed up at his house the following morning before school. He rushed inside with a large grin and proudly told the sheriff and his son that he outran Isaac who was supposed to be his personal guard… 

 

The three of them laughed at the concept, before the older Stilinski questioned the need. Stiles told his father a shortened version of Monday’s events and basically made sure he was aware of Kate and her new… abilities, while conveniently leaving out his mistreatment from the pack he was no longer apart of. 

 

Derek took his cue from his friend and bit his tongue to prevent himself from telling the sheriff more before the two disappeared in the older teen’s room until they had to leave for school. 

 

The younger werewolf found himself becoming very comfortable with the Stilinski residence and ended up over there most of the rest of the week, as well. Stiles didn’t even miss too many additional days of school either…. 

 

Derek would cook or hound the older teen to eat, which pleased his father. The sheriff generally liked having the teen over and was glad to see his son looking as happy as he did when the young man was visiting, it was a side of his son he hadn’t seen since prior to his possession.

 

Occasionally Ethan and Danny would join the fifteen year old at the sheriff’s house. One time Kira escorted the rather annoyed teen to Stiles’s front door. And Malia even popped up in Stiles bedroom once claiming she was guarding the two of them and the house and smelled the nachos Derek had made and was forcing Stiles to eat. 

 

The were-coyote hung out with the boys that evening and the three of them watched the Thor franchise, which she had missed out on too. It was fun. 

 

*** 

 

Saturday’s appointment went… well. Doctor Lavin was highly respected at the hospital and given access to just about any equipment he could want, which meant Stiles had another CAT scan, the results were almost identical… 

 

He was also given a private room in a rather secluded section of the hospital. The doctor brought his own nurse with him too, and the two of them kept to themselves. They didn’t take kindly to Melissa asking Stiles how it was when he finished a puzzle and was waiting in the hall. They weren’t rude to the nurse per se, but they eyed her suspiciously and glanced between her and Stiles several times. After that appointment, Dr. Lavin asked to have lunch with Stiles again, and that was where his father met them. The conversation was all smiles and friendly handshakes and by the end of it the sheriff was presented with beginnings of his son’s case study and doctor Lavin was grinning broadly because he was given the okay to continue. 

 

After lunch Stiles was given a shot of something red that was supposedly going to improve his brain function further. His father tensed immediately, and looked ready to protest, but the blond nurse was prepared for that outcome and was quick to complete her task before anyone could put up a fight. 

 

The car ride that followed was tension filled. Stiles tried to convince his dad that he liked the man well enough and that he was just a little strange… probably too much of that wine he makes, he had jokingly said. 

 

So when they arrived home to find Derek making enough lunch for all of them and smiling broadly it was a relief for Stiles, despite the fact that ha had already eaten. The sheriff seemed to enjoy the younger man’s cooking too, as it was generally unhealthy when compared to the stuff Stiles would make for dinner. And Stiles, who had to right down everything he ate, barely put up a protest because his food journal was often empty until the younger teen had cooked. 

 

The three of them spent Saturday evening excitedly watching college football and getting way to into it for it being none of their favorite teams. The sheriff helped himself to a beer and admitted drunkenly after his third one that he would of offered Derek one if he was of proper age. Derek told them all that that was probably the first thing he has been told that actually made him want to become older again.

 

This made Stiles pause. “You… you don’t want to be… big broody Derek?” He asked confused.

 

“Not really…” Derek shrugged. “I meant it when I said I sounded like an asshole… and, the guy… me… I sound kinda of miserable. Not staying with my pack, it seems like I’m afraid to face you all, if I only come around when things are getting shady…”

 

Stiles thought about that, hard. 

 

“You’ve saved us, though. More than once. You should know that, too. In case everyone, myself included, has only brought up your faults…” He said at long last and looked apologetic. 

 

“Yeah, maybe…” Derek agreed, looking doubtful.

 

“You gave up your alpha powers for Cora!” Stiles almost shouted. 

 

“Yeah, and she left Beacon Hills, didn’t even want to be pack with me…” Derek mumbled.

 

“Look, I’m the first to rag on you for not being much of a conversationalist or lacking in a sense of humor… but I complain about everything… or I did.” Stiles laughed. “ I can tell you that Scott looked to you for guidance and I think it’s pretty obvious that he still needs you for that… you may not be the alpha anymore, but you’ve always been more than just a beta to us. They are all so new to the supernatural world, they need older you to navigate the new waters. Not that we know where he is, but you can’t leave them with just Peter for that…” 

 

Derek smiled. “I used to really like uncle Peter…”

 

“I know. I’m sorry.” Stiles bumped the young teen’s shoulder softly. “Trust me. They need you… Scott is messing everything up, making decisions on his own…”

 

“What about you Stiles?” Derek looked pleadingly into the other’s round eyes.

 

“I’m human, I’ll survive… I always do.” Stiles replied after a beat.

 

The sheriff caught most of that conversation and looked quizzically at the teens snuggling up on the other couch but chose not to interrupt despite having several pressing questions after hearing that little exchange. It hasn’t escaped his notice, the lack of Scott McCall in his house, but his son seemed so relax leaning into the other boy for support, he just couldn’t bring himself to take their attention away from each other. 

 

***

 

Both Stilinskis met with Doctor Lavin at the hospital early Sunday morning. 

 

“Just going to take some blood test, see how that new serum took to your system and we’ll continue with our normal cognitive puzzles on Tuesday.” He greeted them, overly cheery for the early hour of the day. 

 

The sheriff bit his tongue to stop himself from arguing about the lack of choice when it came to injecting his son with that serum yesterday. And chose instead to insist that he be present for the remainder of the visits.

 

He was told that Tuesday’s appointment would be back in the valley and hopefully from there they would be able to work out an easier schedule for everyone. 

 

Stiles was just thankful he didn’t have to spin his entire weekend at the hospital. After a quick pit stop at the nurse’s station, so his father could shamelessly flirt with Melissa, he was free to do as he liked for the rest of the day. 

 

He ended up writing a paper for school, as well as several others for college students. That was turning into a bit of a lucrative business for him. He also stumbled on the ritual needed to restore Derek. 

 

He knew it was the right one as soon as he saw it. It would require Derek’s family to work properly… or his pack. It didn’t even call for a druid, which made Stiles smile smugly. All they would need was a full moon and a place of magic… The Nemeton should work for that, if it allowed them to find it. That stump was picky. And, the full moon was only two weeks away. 

 

He quickly printed and highlighted the paper and filed it with the rest of his research on the matter. 

 

And then he sat there, in his desk chair, with an overwhelming sense of sadness. He knew, now, that Derek was doubting wether he even wanted to be restored to his rightful age and regain all of those years of miserable memories. He also selfishly really liked having the teen around. If Scott was being honest, then it sounded like older Derek was all for kicking Stiles out of the pack as well, he did almost loose his life several times during the Nogitsune fiasco after all…

 

Stiles swallowed hard and placed the folder in his desk. He had two more weeks until the full moon, anyways. No need for him to make a rash decision now.

 

*** 

 

 

Derek was just starting to except that he would constantly have a tail on him and stopped trying to avoid it on Monday when his escort turned out to be Scott and Lydia, both of whom seemed disgruntled that they were making this pit stop on the way to school.

 

Derek leaned casually against the Jeep and waited. 

 

Scott and Lydia made their way up the front steps where the alpha ran into an invisible barrier and was thrown backwards. Lydia folded arms and raised a disapproving eyebrow at the werewolf who laid sprawled out on the floor. 

 

“When did you put in an ash circle?” Scott asked as he got back up and was greeted by Stiles’s smiling face. 

 

“When Malia showed up unannounced in my room… could have been Kate just as easily.” Stiles informed the alpha as he broke the line with his foot and Derek and Scott scrambled across before the mole dotted teen reformed it. “Danny has been practicing with them too.” 

 

“That’s… good.” Scott said at last. Everyone just looked at each other. 

 

Stiles gestured to the open front door where he and everyone quietly followed him inside. 

 

“So, Mr. Argent is coming back, he’s going to help us.” The alpha explained to break the awkward silence. 

 

“I’m glad the hunter is on our side, this time...” Stiles agreed. “We’ll call that plan A and since plan A always fails… what’s your guys’ plan B?” 

 

Scott frowned and gave Lydia an exasperated look. Lydia understood her friend’s annoyance and took the lead.

 

“Stiles!” She said sharply. “We don’t need you telling Scott how to run his pack! Deaton said he earned his True Alpha title based on his morals, something you’ve always strayed from… I think that’s why the Nogitsune found such an easy target in you!”

 

Stiles squawked in protest but the noise that caused the banshee to clear her throat and get back on track was a low rumbling coming from the younger Derek who had tried and failed to remain inconspicuous while letting the older teens talk.

 

“Anyways... what we need from you is to figure out what to do to change Derek back! If Kate is really after him, that should be your top priority! But we’ve been hearing about your movie parties from Malia and homework study sessions with Danny and Ethan and it just seems to me like maybe you don’t even want the old Derek back?!” Lydia accused with narrowed eyes.

 

This time, Stiles was more than ready to defend himself, as he did in fact have a pile of notes and suggestions on that matter, not to mention he was sure the ritual that would cure the teen in two weeks’ time was included in his research. 

 

He opened his mouth to say so when the strawberry blond continued. “Derek comes over here to talk with Cora, not you! So until you have figured it out…”

 

“Stiles!” Derek interrupted. “Did you eat breakfast yet? I’m starving!” The fifteen year old grabbed the stunned teen’s hand to lead him in to the kitchen and away from the berating going on in the foyer. 

 

“Stiles!” Lydia shrieked. 

 

But the two boys ignored her as the older one grabbed some bowls and proceeded to pour cereal. 

 

“Stiles!” Scott said on an exhale as he followed them into the kitchen. “I don’t think it’s good for you, getting so close with him, you know Derek, he can’t stand you… you need to cut your losses and move on, let the pack move on… I know you know this!”

 

Stiles let the spoons he just reached for fall to the floor with a clatter. 

 

“No. Scott. I don’t really know anything…” Stiles couldn’t keep the anger from his tone. “We were friends, best friends, brothers, but ever since the nogitsune you’ve treated me like I was fragile and could explode and kill you all at any moment, but that was never me, that Japanese spirit did those things… not me! I’m sorry it happened, but I can’t keep hating myself for it… most of your pack agrees with me by the way!” He dared to look at his former best friend. 

 

Scott looked upset and frustrated as he yelled, “we don’t know what older Derek would do because he is stuck in that kid form! You’re not exactly helping to fix that when your trying to make him your new best friend either!”

 

Derek stood to defend both of them, but Stiles shook his head and glared daggers at the red eyed werewolf who was now trying to use his alpha ability to tell Derek to back away. 

 

“Derek and I may have had our differences, but I can’t imagine he would be okay with you doing this to the pack. I mean Kate is out there and you have everyone operating in pairs, except me, and I’m just human… not that I think she is going to go after me, but she could, she thinks I like Derek and knows I’ll stick up for him, I could be a target and your grand plan is to isolate me from the few friends I have? Kick me out of the pack, now? No way would Derek be okay with that… even if I annoy him.”

 

“You almost killed him! And he left afterwards! He wasn’t coming back! He was going to find Peter and head to South America… said Beacon Hills was too much and that I was the alpha now!” Scott looked wildly around and breathed heavily as the pressure of those words hit him hard. 

 

“You don’t have to do it alone.” Stiles stated lowly as his anger gave way to concern for his friend who was still breathing deeply. 

 

“I screamed for Allison! Watched her die, while you past out!” Lydia yelled with a stray tear falling down her face. “My best friend…” she added in a smaller voice.

 

Stiles jumped. He had forgotten she was there too. The banshee’s green eyes were rimmed red with tears and her face was screwed up in pain at the memory she was reliving. 

 

He opened his mouth to apologize but she cut him off.

 

“Don’t.” She said through tears. “I don’t want your apologies… I want her back… I want Aiden back! But, I can’t have that, and every time I see you I’m reminded of that fact!”

 

“It’s more than just that though.” Scott said as he placed a comforting hand around the strawberry blond. “All of this… it all started when you wanted to go looking for a dead body in the woods… I was bit because of you that night… then you accused Derek of murder and everything took off from there…” as Scott spoke he looked everywhere except at the friend he was throwing away, and it was that action that let Stiles know how serious the alpha was being. 

 

Stiles wanted to defend himself, but he suddenly understood it was a moot point. Scott had reached this decision already, had probably felt this way for awhile, and was just now daring to be honest about it.

 

“That’s it then…” he said instead. “No more friendship… eleven years, means nothing to you?” The pale teen asked, his voice surprisingly steady and low.

 

“I have a pack to run now…” Scott replied. 

 

“I already told you, you don’t have to do it alone, that’s what pack is, family… friends… you should rely on their strengths. My strengths… planning ahead…” 

 

“No. You undermine me in front of them, and you have this one,” he gestured to Derek who was slowly backing away to give the two room to talk, “wavering and on edge… he should trust me implicitly and all I do is sense his doubt! I’m his alpha not you!” 

 

“Okay.” Stiles agreed in a small voice. 

 

“No.” Derek protested, no longer able to keep quiet as the fighting had centered on him once again. 

 

“He’s right, though, you need an alpha… we can’t have a feral omega, fifteen year old running around…” Stiles told him. 

 

“See!” Scott shouted. “That’s my call, my pack, you don’t get to decide these things!”

 

Stiles threw his hands up in frustration. “I’m agreeing with you Scott!” 

 

The true alpha opened his mouth, surely to retort, but he froze for just a moment before yelling for everyone to get down as he threw his body over Lydia’s. The two crashed to the floor as the sound of shattering glass erupted quickly followed by the zing of a metal arrow as it zoomed by and landed in the cupboard mere inches from Stiles head. 

 

The human, with much slower reflexes, simply turned in time to see the black line fling past. Derek instinctually leaned forward to forced the other down but his eyes were drawn to the broken window and the figure lurking across the yard behind it. 

 

Kate Argent had a crossbow slung over one shoulder and waved cheerfully with her free hand. The were-jaguar gave the stunned group in the kitchen a fang-filled smile. Scott stood back up and roared.

 

“What do you want Kate?” He asked without raising his voice, knowing that the other shifter would hear him. 

 

She must have replied because both of the werewolves perked up and tilted their heads in a familiar fashion.

Stiles darted out of the room causing Lydia to look at him with disbelief from the floor. The banshee huffed and took out her phone and started typing quickly. 

 

Kate was joined by two other people by the time Stiles returned with his baseball bat clutched firmly in his right hand. One was an older lady with short reddish brown hair. She looked intimidating. The other was maybe ten years younger, but still significantly older than the teens. He looked like he wasn’t capable of smiling and stared at the house with a scowl that was only emphasized by his dark goatee. 

 

“Now that the skinny one is back, tell the girl on the floor who is typing madly to knock it off and pay attention.” Kate yelled. She was right against the mountain ash line. “These are my cousins, Araya and Severo, they specialize in hunting something a bit different than dog, but they’ve agreed to help me out… to help me gain control. So here is the deal, hand over Derek and the rest of your pack if free to go…”

 

Scott bit his lip. 

 

“No!” Stiles yelled causing the alpha next to him to give him a dirty look.

 

“Why do you want me?” Derek asked. “You’ve already killed my family.” 

 

Kate’s smile grew wider. “Come with me and I’ll tell you!” She taunted. 

 

Derek paced in front of the window, clearly uncomfortable with the ominous request. The older woman, Araya placed a threatening foot on the ash line and with a smirk in the teens’ direction she broke it. Derek ran towards the open window and lunched threw it while staring at Kate with his claws and fangs out. Stiles ran to the front door. Scott was right behind the younger werewolf and Lydia froze in fear. Ethan was running, from seemingly no where, with Malia hot on his trail. Isaac, Danny, and Kira came speeding down the road, oddly enough in Mr. Yukimura’s car. The kitsune parked it haphazardly in the road before trailing after the curly haired werewolf who practically jumped out of the moving vehicle! 

 

Derek beat everyone to Kate and was met with a wolfsbane infused machete for his effort. Araya held the offending weapon threateningly out to halt the young werewolf. Severo completed the imperfect circle turning to face the newcomers behind them while raising a shotgun up at Ethan who instantly halted in his tracks and had to hold back a vicious looking Malia. 

 

Scott opened his mouth in an attempt to talk with Kate again, but everyone forgot about Stiles who came up from the neglected side and swung his bat down on the older hunter’s head with a loud crack. The woman dropped to the floor but she wasn’t down for the count just yet. 

 

It worked however, as the distraction Stiles intended, for Derek was able to face a terrified looking Kate unimpeded, while Scott placed a clawed hand to the male hunter’s throat. He wore a rather old and large wooden cross around his neck that was filed down to sharp points on the sides and bottom. The alpha made sure to keep his hand just slightly above that things reach. 

 

“Put down your gun!” Scott growled into the other man’s ear.

 

Kate and Derek met in an impressive display of claw swipes and aerobatic moves. The were-jaguar lunged and met him blow for blow but was slowly being beaten backwards. Strength wise, she simply wasn’t a match for the teen. Her crossbow laid forgotten on the ground during the exchange. 

 

Stiles was momentarily distracted by the display in front of him and that was all the time the older woman needed to grab his ankle and twist hard. It was painful. A move only a trained hunter would have known about and it caused the pale teen to drop to the ground next to her. She still had the obscenely large blade in her right hand too. It didn’t have to be soaked in the werewolf poison to be deadly to the human. Araya crawled on top of Stiles with a smirk, a large wooden cross of her own swinging madly as she did so. It’s bottom point was another threat the teen would have to avoid.

 

Stiles held up his bat protectively across his chest as he kicked wildly in a mad attempt to push the other woman off of him. She did have to put up a small struggle for his efforts. He landed a blow to her hip and a small clinking sound could be heard by anyone who cared to listen.

 

With the fight between Kate and Derek taking up most of the yard’s occupant’s attention, and Scott still attempting to negotiate with the large male hunter, the clink went fairly unnoticed by everyone except the two struggling on the ground. That was until it was followed by Stiles’s shrieks of pain. 

 

A hissing sound soon followed and a purplish smoke was coming off the teen where ever a liquid was hitting him. The liquid came from a small broken vile the older hunter wore on her hip. Stiles broke it with his kick and was paying for it as the acid like substance tore threw his layers of t-shirts and jeans to burn him. 

Araya looked alarmed at the teen’s discomfort and glanced at Severo who all but ignored the standoff he was currently apart of to gaze his darken eyes at the human who withered in pain and continued to shout under his fellow hunter.

 

The screams were distracting Derek who whipped around to attempt to help his friend and took a clawed hand from Kate for his effort. Kira and Isaac were also watching the purple smoke, both equally alarmed by the turn of events. 

 

“ I thought you said it was a couple of werewolves and their humans!” Araya spat to Kate. The were-jaguar didn’t want to give up her advantage to answer back, as she attempted to encircle Derek with a rope that she pulled out of seemingly nowhere. Her hunter abilities still offered her a slight edge, it would seem.

 

Thanks to Isaac’s interference, Derek dodge just in time. The two werewolves loomed threateningly towards a now panicked looking Kate. 

 

“Stop messing with the kid and help me!” She called to the pair of people struggling on the ground. 

 

Araya ignored her. She pressed up further on the struggling teen beneath her chanting in a different language. Nothing happened as she finished her chant, which caused her to pause and glance towards her fellow hunter who looked just as confused.

 

She shook her head and with scrunched up eyebrows the older woman took her nearly forgotten blade and nicked the teen’s upper arm causing his checkered over shirt to be dyed crimson at the incision. 

 

“Human!” She spat, given Stiles a dirty and… disappointed(?) look. 

 

“You can’t kill him then, it would be counter productive at this point.” Severo called back as he completely ignored Scott and went to help his fellow hunter up. “We’ll have to tell the others.” He said as he offered his comrade a hand up. 

 

As soon as she got off of Stiles and the offending liquid stopped it’s steady drip on his leg, Stiles screams ceased and he held the burning appendage tenderly while taking deep breaths to regain his control. Derek seemed even more alarmed by this reaction and this time it was Isaac that took the were-jaguar’s extended claw. 

 

“We need to regroup, reinforcements.” Araya yelled to the half purple creature. “Lets go.” 

 

“What!?” Kate managed to say around her fangs. “No way, he’s right here!” 

 

“This is larger than you, now.” Severo stated, plainly.

 

Scott had let the two hunters retreat which meant Malia and Ethan were able to rejoin their pack. 

 

Kate looked angry as the pack formed a solid line behind Derek and Isaac. “We had them.” She screamed as she too took several steps backwards and away from the sheriff’s house. 

 

“I won’t repeat myself.” Araya said threateningly as she patted her head and revealed a wet spot from where the baseball bat broke her skull. 

 

Severo simply started to walk away, ready to leave his disobedient hunter turned shifter companion behind. 

 

“Come Kate.” Araya called. “This is larger than you needing control. We need the others.”

 

“You’re the matriarch!” A very disgruntled Kate said icily. 

 

“And I am ordering you to come!” The older woman’s face gave away no hint of compassion. “Now, lets go!”

 

There was no argument left after that and Kate disappeared with the others. They rounded a corner and a black SUV was seen and heard taking off in the distance. 

 

“Are we just going to let them get away?” Malia pouted. “I didn’t even get my claws dirty…”

 

Her question went ignored as Derek pleas for Stiles to be okay overtook everyone’s attention. Everyone was now inside the distorted mountain ash circle, so a rather eager Danny reformed it, making sure that Ethan and Scott both saw his efforts.

 

Lydia called from the front porch that everyone should come inside before the neighbors get suspicious. Stiles tried to stand on his own but the younger teen wasn’t having that and insisted on carrying the injured human inside after enveloping the smaller man in a tight hug. He hoped the action would communicate where his words failed him. Stiles was stunned into silence and didn’t protest. 

 

Once Derek had successfully laid Stiles on the couch everyone looked awkwardly at each other without speaking. Lydia held the black arrow that started the whole affair in one hand and reach for the bow that Kira had picked up from the ground outside. 

 

“It was Allison’s.” The banshee announced. Kira nodded her confirmation, having once worked with the young huntress to defend herself from her friends when they were out of their minds last semester. 

 

“Why?” The strawberry blond asked. “Why attack here of all places?” She looked close to tears again as she clung on to the sharp object. 

 

“Kate wants Derek.” Stiles said plainly bringing the attention back to himself as the teen inspected his leg. Surprisingly the skin was still in tact there, just raw and red where his jean had burnt away. What was that stuff?

 

“We’ve got to get you cleaned up.” Derek said as he followed the others’ eyes to the expanse of burnt skin that stuck out at contrast to the pale flesh around it. “Your arm is bleeding!” 

 

It was just a small cut, and nothing when compared to Derek and even Isaac who each sported their fair share of wounds, all already healing. Stiles pointed this out to the group, but he went ignored as Danny came over with a roll of paper towels and passed one to the boy on the couch and the rest to the fifteen year old who looked confused by the gesture.

 

“I’m fine.” Derek grunted. “Already healing.”

 

Isaac rolled his eyes and grabbed them from him so he could wipe away his own bloody mess. 

 

“So they want Derek.” Scott agreed, reluctantly. “Do we know why?” 

 

Kira piped up, with an awkwardly placed smile marring her features. “Kate… mentioned needing control. Maybe Derek can help her, now that she’s… a shifter?”

 

“What?” Derek question. “How can I help her?”

 

“You helped us,” Isaac said. “Me… and Erica and Boyd…”

 

Scott looked guiltily at Stiles on the couch. His best friend who had helped him during that tough time. 

 

“Maybe she didn’t have anyone to turned to except apparently these hunters who don’t follow the code enough to kill her?” Ethan asked the group. 

 

“Okay.” Scott agreed. “Let’s assume that is right. Why Derek? He is probably the least likely werewolf to want to help her…”

 

“But she made him fifteen again, because she knew she would be able to manipulate him at this age…”Stiles said solemnly looking at the younger boy in question. 

 

“But it didn’t work because we got to him first and he knew what she did to him and his family.” Malia stated causing everyone to glance at Stiles, as he was in fact the person that warned Derek of the evil woman. 

 

“How did she make him fifteen again, though, she would have needed a druid to help, Deaton told us how difficult it was to do such a thing…” Lydia asked Scott. 

 

“Maybe it was one of her new hunter friends, they were able to break the ash line.” Scott said in a unsure voice. 

 

“Anyone who isn’t supernatural can break that line!” Stiles huffed as he sat up and took the paper towels from Isaac to clean up Derek. 

 

“But Deaton…” Scott protested. 

 

“Deaton is wrong!” Danny half shouted. “Stiles taught me to believe in mountain ash with only a couple of hours’ practice.” Ethan grabbed the human’s hand for support. 

 

“I don’t think Doctor Deaton is wrong about the full moon ritual though.” Scott disagreed but he sounded significantly less sure now. 

 

Stiles fidgeted in his seat. He still had the cure for Derek sitting unbeknownst to all just upstairs in his room, but a large part of him felt it was best to share that information with the fifteen year old werewolf first. 

 

“Okay, lets just go with that theory for now, why did the hunters decide to leave?” Lydia asked everyone.

 

“They mentioned needing others, they seemed almost afraid of you.” Ethan said to Stiles who looked uncomfortable as everyone was looking at him, again. 

 

“What did she do to your leg?” Kira asked glancing at the red and puffy skin while blushing profusely as the area was so close to the teen’s groin.

 

Derek looked doubly concerned as he knelt down and examined the soft flesh there. 

 

Stiles squirmed. “I’m fine now.” He said softly to the werewolf in front of him. 

 

Derek tried to take the other’s pain, but their was none to take. 

 

“Might have been an acid, it burned, it was something the hunter lady kept on her hip, but I broke the vial.” Stiles announced to everyone else. “It hurt so much, sorry for screaming…” he added, embarrassed. 

 

“They seemed like they were afraid of you!” Lydia accused. 

 

“But they declared me human, self, just as Kira’s mother did!” Stiles quickly defended himself seeing where the banshee was going with that train of thought. 

 

Scott, surprisingly, defended the upset teen on the couch. “They did, nicked his arm, and decided that was proof of his humanity…” the alpha quietly stated. “But, they still left for reinforcements, because of what they thought you might be…”

 

“Probably demon hunters, because he was an evil Japanese spirit!” Lydia narrowed her eyes. 

 

Stiles was getting angry now. This was his house and his one time crush had done enough accusing to last him a life time, he didn’t have to put up with this. He opened his mouth to say so but it was surprisingly Danny who defended him first. 

 

“Maybe he was possessed, the word ‘was’ means he isn’t anymore.” He told Lydia, attempting to appeal to her smart side. 

 

She opened her mouth to retort but was interrupted by Isaac. “Listen, she brings up a point, if they are getting reinforcements because of Stiles, maybe it isn’t safe for us here anymore.” He looked around expecting to see people attacking at just that moment. 

 

“Did you hear their accents?” It was Malia who spoke up, “sounded like the Mexicans from Mexico! Probably will take them a couple of days with that drive.”

 

Everyone looked impressed at the were-coyote’s deduction.

 

“What?” She asked the group as they all looked at her. 

 

“Your probably right.” Stiles told her with a small smile, proud.

 

“Okay so we need to talk to Deaton.” Scott announced. “He’s still out of town, but I’ll call him.”

 

“And, Isaac, you need to tell Chris! Give him this.” Lydia held out the black arrow to the whimpering werewolf.

 

“We’ll reconvene at my house tonight, pack meeting.” Scott said, looking to everyone except Stiles. 

 

Slowly and reluctantly everyone retreated back outside until it was just Scott, Derek, and Stiles left. There was a long pause in which no one moved or talked.

 

“Derek you can come with me, I won’t be able to go to school now, anyways.” Scott said at long last.

 

Derek shook his head. “I’m staying here.” 

 

Scott huffed. “It’s not safe. We’ll talk about protecting Stiles at the meeting tonight, but for now it’s not safe here.” He didn’t meet his friends eyes as he said this. 

 

“Why wouldn’t we protect him?” Derek growled.

 

“He’s not pack anymore!” Scott yelled. “Even less so, if he is attracting hunters into town!” 

 

Stiles had had it. “Derek isn’t just some beta for you to boss around! In his adult form you respect him and his choices, so stop trying to belittle him just because he is two years younger then us now! He can stay here if he wants to, my dad will probably have officers sitting on this place until I graduate after this!” He huffed out. 

 

Scott looked pissed. “Where Derek stays isn’t your call! I’m the alpha! True alpha!”

 

“It’s not your call either!” Stiles yelled, unable to refrain from exploding any further. “He’s a person!” 

 

“And, I’m right here, it’s like you two forget I exist!” The fifteen year old said annoyed. “I’m staying here, at least until the pack meeting, in which I’m going to argue that Stile should be at…”

 

They both looked at Derek, sheepishly.

 

“Fine.” Scott breathed out begrudgingly. “Stay, but you better not be late for the meeting!” The true alpha attempted to move past them towards the door.

 

“Wait, Scott!” Stiles said with a malicious grin. “Are you forgetting something?” Stiles pointed to the kitchen. 

 

Scott looked confused and asked more than stated, “no?”

 

“Yes, Scott. You’re the alpha, you’re telling my dad why he has a broken kitchen window.” Stiles said with glee at the crumpled look on his former best friend’s face. 

 

The two had a silent standoff with looks. If Scott disagreed, Stiles would bring in Melissa, Scott knew this. 

 

The alpha werewolf gulped and reached out his hand for Stiles’s phone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> https://sterekglompfest.tumblr.com/post/169189058581/sterek-glompfest-sign-ups-are-open-glompee
> 
>  
> 
> I signed up to be a Glomper for the Sterek Glompfest 2018!  
> -this is an event where you guys (the reads, kudos givers, and commenters) can submit prompts as Glompees and Glompers (writers and artists) fulfill those prompts! 
> 
> Pretty cool event! If you have ever thought I wish they would make a Sterek story like... this is your chance to see it! I'm excited as a writer, I've never done something like this and feel it will be super fun, soooo if you're interested follow the link and fill out the correct form! Maybe, I'll get your prompt!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please see end note for WARNGINGS!!!

The sheriff was not happy, but as Stiles expected, his house was now heavily guarded by patrol cars. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on who you ask, there were now patrol cars protecting Melissa’s home as well.

 

The nurse was upset when she found out why all of her kiddos missed first hour that morning, but she was even more dismayed when she realized her supernatural son and his friends were not able to stop the attack and things could have been much worse. She assured the sheriff that she would listen in on the next pack meeting and let him know what their boys were keeping from them. 

 

She was livid when she not so stealthily barged into Scott’s room after listen about buddy strategies and patrol security routes for over an hour and to find that Stiles, whose house was at the center of the mornings’ action, wasn’t even in the room. Meaning that all of his friends capable of protecting her other son were here without him. 

 

The nurse glanced around the room and ignored the squawk of protest from Scott as she narrowed her eyes. “Where the hell is Stiles?” 

 

No one answered. 

 

“Scott! Where is Stiles?” Melissa sounded panicked the second time and the werewolves must have picked up on her increased heartbeat because several scrambled to mutter insufficient answers all at once. Excuses that sounded weak, even to the human’s ear. 

 

“Scott kicked him out of the pack.” Derek announced from his quiet perch on the alpha’s windowsill. 

 

Melissa looked alarmed but thanked the youngest teen regardless. She rounded on her son who looked… angry. The true alpha didn’t say anything and that was probably the biggest give-a-way that what the younger boy had said was true. 

 

“Scott!” Melissa prompted. 

 

“Scott Raphael McCall!” She said again.

 

The fact that he took his middle name from his father who was absent most of his life, meant that his mother rarely acknowledged that he even had said name, so for her to use it now… 

 

“Scott!” She yelled that time. 

 

“I’m sorry mom. He’s out… been out of the pack for a while, he just didn’t know…” Scott scrunched up his face as he told the ground this information rather than his mother. 

 

It was silent for a moment before Melissa asked, “why?”

 

“There are so many reasons…” Scott said at long last. “I can’t trust him…”

 

“Why? What makes you think that?” Then nurse asked in a concerned tone. Most of the teen’s shifted uneasily, feeling as if they were listening in on something they shouldn’t.

 

Scott remained silent. 

 

“I like him!” Malia chirped merrily to break the awkwardness. “I don’t know why he is out… he’s week, I guess, but well he’s human, he can’t help it…” The were-coyote looked confused. 

 

“He is a hindrance, someone always has to protect him…” Scott latched on to that idea. 

 

“I’m human!” Danny scoffed. “I hate how it feels like your trying to use me to replace him in the pack! You just gave me a map of Beacon Hills and asked me to come up with the most sufficient routes… was that something that Stiles would have done?” The lacrosse goalie frowned. “I don’t know these woods!”

Scott sighed. Stiles did, in fact, come up with their previous patrol routes. The human spent all night optimizing the schedule with Derek after the alpha pack incident. Stubbornly, the true alpha refused to agree with Danny and kept quiet instead. 

 

Isaac piped up. “Stiles was good at that kind of stuff… he didn’t know the woods either, so he learned them…”

 

Melissa had half a mind to order her son’s friends to go home, but slowly they were all voicing their personal opinions on the matter and Scott seemed uncomfortable with having to listen to them, she stayed quiet and let them continue.

 

“I don’t know,” Ethan tentatively broke the renewed silence. “He’s annoying, that’s for sure, probably causes more trouble than he’s worth, but he broke that bat of his on Ennis’s skull… that was pretty epic, he has his moments, that’s all I’m saying…”

 

“That was my bat…” Melissa shook her head. “But the point is he was helping you cause a ruckus at the hospital, just a human, and more than willing to help out!”

 

Scott shook his head. “He shouldn’t have been there… he could have gotten hurt!” 

 

“But he was there, because he is loyal… to you!” Melissa said, exasperated.

 

“Let’s not get distracted…” Lydia’s high pitch voice said promptly. “He allowed the Nogitsune in. He killed a lot of people under its influence, including two of our own! You saw the damage he did at the hospital…” she added pointedly to the nurse.

 

“I did.” Melissa agreed. “But, I know that wasn’t really Stiles, he was trying to tell us something was wrong, he was trying to stop himself!” She protested. 

 

“It doesn’t give us Allison or Aiden back, though…” Lydia choked up as she argued back. “I get why Scott doesn’t trust him after that, because I don’t trust him either!”

 

Scott nodded his agreement with that statement causing the nurse to stare at her son in disbelief.

 

“Is that why you haven’t offered him the bite?” She asked eventually. “You can’t trust him, which I think is a weak excuse and you know it, but you’re willing to let him suffer simply because you don’t want him in the pack right now? That’s just cruel, Scott!” Melissa sounded disappointed as she scolded her son. 

“I don’t want him in the pack ever!” Scott exploded. “He undermines me at every turn! He can’t be trusted! I can’t look at him without seeing Allison dying in my arms and that smirking face his evil counterpart wore as her life drained out of her…” 

 

“So you’re going to condemn him!” The nurse looked taken aback. 

 

“He condemned me, mom!” Scott shouted. “I wouldn’t be a werewolf at all of it wasn’t for him! He started this whole mess, it’s not… fair.” The true alpha added, weakly. 

 

“Well, my son, I sincerely hope you change your mind!” The nurse shook her head. “Deaton told me how rare and special you were, becoming an alpha on merit alone… I saw that in you, I was rather proud to be your mother, but right now… I’ve never been more ashamed.” 

 

The room was silent after the nurse’s declaration. Melissa excused herself to go call the sheriff and give him the disappointing news without so much as a glance in her son’s direction. 

 

Scott looked a little broken at that. He felt remorseful over loosing his cool and yelling at his mother, and that guilt twisted in his gut mixing with his hatred of the entire situation. He needed an outlet and source to blame, and only one name came to his mind: Stiles. 

 

He looked up and realized everyone was looking at him. He was their alpha, after all. The pressures associated with that burden were becoming too much… he needed a break. 

 

Kira seemed to understand this and grabbed his hand, whispering softly that it will all work out and that everyone needed some time to see things clearly. Scott couldn’t help but wonder if she was referring to him or everyone else as she said that. 

 

Eventually, Scott perked up to dismiss the room, but one occupant was already gone. Derek’s place on the sill was empty and a slight breeze blew in through the open window. He furrowed his brow in frustration. 

 

“Want me to trail him to Stiles’s?” Isaac asked, sensing his alpha’s shift in mood again. 

 

“No, let him go, the place is probably heavily guarded…” Scott said, sounding defeated. 

 

*** 

 

The sheriff came home as soon as he could assign enough officers to cover his absence. Melissa had called and told him the Stiles was kicked out of the pack. He knew something wasn’t right between his boys, but he had no idea it extended so far. The nurse seemed extremely upset about Scott’s attitude and her choice of language when referring to her son had the older Stilinski considering heading to her house instead to make sure she was alright. But, Stiles took priority.

 

He raced home while alerting the two patrol cars watching the place that he would be relieving one of them for the evening. The men reported in that it had been quiet all day. That was some decent news, at least. The hunters hadn’t returned…

 

Upon entering his home the sheriff’s anger, worry, and concern was swept away by overwhelming gratitude. Stiles and Derek, still in his teenage years, were making a mess of dinner while listening to music and laughing. It seemed the older teen was in charge of the meal, this time, and if the older Stilinski wasn’t mistaken, it appeared to be his wife’s famous lasagna cooking in the oven. 

 

“Boys.” He greeted, catching their attention. 

 

“Dad!” Stiles almost shouted. “I’m sorry for the window! Cleaned up the mess, but well…” he sheepishly pointed to the garbage bag taped haphazardly over the hole. 

 

The sheriff merely shook his head. “I could care less about the window, I’m glad your okay. All of you.” He added, looking at the fifteen year old who attempted and failed to back away, out of reach as the older man enveloped his son in a bone crushing hug. 

 

Derek timidly stepped up and enjoyed the embrace, too.

 

“Listen.” The sheriff’s grin slid off his face as he addressed his son again. “I spoke with Melissa, she told me you’re no longer pack…” 

 

Stiles didn’t respond, choosing rather to avoid everyone’s eyes as he glanced around, nervous about where this conversation was heading. 

 

“Did… have you told him, about… your appointments?” The sheriff asked, tentatively, not sure if even Derek was aware. 

 

“No.” Stiles shrugged. “I think Melissa did though…”

 

Derek looked really awkward and attempted to slink away, but the whole house was in his hearing range, and they all knew it.

 

“She didn’t.” The sheriff corrected. “Son, I’ve always thought that well this would end with you becoming a furry creature once a month…” the old man attempted to joke, but he looked heartbroken. “Always thought that would be your way out… worth a chance, if it came to it, you know…”

 

Stiles was fighting back tears as he listened to his dad consider the alternative. “Dad… I haven’t told anyone,” Stiles glance pointedly at the werewolf who now sat at the dining room table examining the grains of wood as if they held the secrets to the universe. “But, I kind of thought that was a big part of why Scott didn’t want me helping out so much… so I could focus on me…”

 

The older Stilinski looked even more pained when he realized what revelation his son had just made about his lifelong friendship. He shook his head, unable to voice the confirmation.

 

“He doesn’t even know?” Stiles asked in a small voice. 

 

“I’m sorry, kid.” His father said, genuinely. 

 

Just then the oven dinged. The sheriff couldn’t be more relieved to have an excuse to change the subject. 

 

“So, your mother’s recipe?” He asked “you won’t even tell me what the secret ingredient is, but you let Hale know?” He said with fake incredulous. 

 

“I told him the same thing mother’s always told you, the secret ingredient is love!” Stiles huffed as he grabbed the oven mitts, “but you never seem to listen!”

 

“That’s because she would never let me watch her prep it… because she is hiding something, and you are too! You’ll end up taking that to your grave and the world will never know the wonder that is your mother’s lasagna, ever again!” The older Stilinski sassed his son sarcastically, a trait he surly picked up from him. 

 

“I’m telling you it’s love…” Stiles insisted as he cut them all a piece. 

 

The three ate at the table that night, which was a rare occasion as there usually was a baseball game or some other sporting event that required the sheriff’s attention. But tonight was different, and deserved to be so. As they ate, Stiles told his father about school and some of the random information he learned from writing those college papers. 

 

The chatter was normal, but it didn’t distract the sheriff from his son’s barely touched plate of food or the way his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. 

 

*** 

 

Tuesday morning meant an early drive, so both of the Stilinskis men could get to the valley in time for Stiles’s appointment. They checked in at the front desk and waited. Usually the blond nurse would greet them right away and steer them into either the observational room or an office. Today however, she opened the door and stiffened. She eyed Stiles suspiciously and informed the pair that they weren’t quite ready for them and it would be just a moment longer. 

 

The sheriff frowned as he had broken a couple of speed limits to ensure they made it here on time. 

 

The nurse returned just a moment later with Dr. Lavin in tow. The older man froze immediately once he entered the room, too. It was such a similar reaction to that of his nurse only a moment ago, it would be impossible to ignore. Both members of the medical profession looked knowingly at each other before they slowly recovered and remembered their present company. 

 

“Good morning!” The doctor greeted them, several moments too late. “How was the drive?”

 

Stiles wasn’t fooled and neither was his father, the man didn’t become the sheriff because of his good looks, after all. 

 

The Stilinskis’ suspicion wouldn’t be thrown off as easily as the doctor had hoped, either. As Dr. Lavin escorted the two to his office he tried to steer the direction towards happier pastures, but to no avail. He merrily told the sheriff that his son’s blood test showed that the serum was taking well and it should hopefully improve his brain function over time. 

 

“About that!” The sheriff grumbled. “I gave you permission to use him for a case study, I never okayed experimental…. Experimentations!” He raised his voice on the last word. 

 

Dr. Lavin looked taken aback. “I assure you, it’s safe. This is your son’s best opportunity for a long and prosperous life… That is our ultimate goal here, and I’m sure you’d agree with me on that…”

 

“Well, yes, but…” The older Stilinski started to say but was quickly interrupted. 

 

“As a part of this new treatment, we’d like to do a full body exam, of course your welcome to stay,” the doctor added once both his patient and their father started to protest. “Just want to make sure there are no side affects, I’m sure you understand…”

 

As he explained this he pulled out a plain hospital gown and handed it to Stiles. 

 

“What? I really need to wear this?” The teen asked his father rather than his overly eager doctor. 

 

His dad hesitated.

 

“Just a precaution before we continue, I promise.” Dr. Lavin attempted to reassure them both. 

 

Stiles gaped but agreed. “Fine! Where...”

 

“You can change behind the screen and then hop up on the exam table.” The doctor indicated the largely unused, paper covered bench in the corner of the room. 

 

Stiles obliged. 

 

Besides being slightly embarrassed due to his near nakedness in front of his father and another older man, the exam was… normal. 

 

“Ahhh…” the doctor said as he came across the still slightly redden skin on Stiles’s upper thigh. “And what happened here?” He asked the room at large, but his nurse must have had a sixth sense as she entered at that exact moment and tutted.

 

The two shared a significant look with each other before giving their attention to Stiles who was fumbling with an excuse, claiming he spilled boiling water on himself yesterday.

 

“Oh.” Dr. Lavin agreed, halfheartedly. “I would say it’s healing well, perhaps you should consider being more careful in the kitchen…”

 

It was obvious he didn’t believe the teen.

 

Stiles’s father looked at the red skin in concern and worriedly asked his son why he didn’t say anything the day before. Stiles had a quick argument with his dad, claiming he was fine and that it was nothing. He missed his dismissal from the doctor, who had asked for him to get dressed again. 

 

Dr. Lavin declared him fit to continue with the memory test and an hour later Stiles found himself being injected with the red serum once more. 

 

“This stuff won’t do anything to improve your apatite, so I expect you to continue with your journal! And, I’ll see you on Sunday in Beacon Hills, no need for a double appointment this weekend.” He said merrily.

 

Stiles turned to join his father in the hall when the doctor called after him, “and do try to steer clear of that boiling water!”

 

The pale teen whipped around because of the mocking tone the older man had used but he was greeted with a completely sincere look. 

 

“I mean it!” Dr. Lavin added, knowingly.

 

*** 

 

On Stiles insistence Derek attended the increased number of pack meetings the rest of that week and participated in Scott’s different patrol routes. The new paths were slightly longer but arguably just as effective, but the end results meant that Stiles was seeing Derek less and less. 

 

This had Cora fuming as it also interrupted her time with her brother. She was really enjoying having the younger Derek back as he was more open and free with her. The two were now considerably closer in age and that had aloud them to bond, in a similar fashion to the way he had once bonded with his older sister, Laura.

 

It meant less home cooked meals at the Stilinski house, and that fact wasn’t missed by the sheriff. He had started to hound his son about keeping up with his food journal or ignoring his alarms. The tension was high on days like that and usually only broke once the young werewolf turned up to keep the peace. 

 

Naturally, it was all bound to come to a head and it did a little over a week later. Stiles had spent most of his weekend, that wasn’t taken up with doctor appointments, trying to get in touch with Derek. The full moon was on Monday night and he still hadn’t told him about the ritual he had found that would restore him to his proper age. Every time Stiles called Scott or dared to corner the alpha in school to set up a time for Derek to stop by, it was promptly canceled on him hours later. Monday morning was the last straw…

 

Derek was supposed to stop by before school, Cora and him had a long Skype call planned and the sheriff even put an extra patrol car on the house as Stiles was supposed to go to school and he didn’t feel comfortable letting the fifteen year old werewolf fend off a possible Kate attack on his own. Derek didn’t show and Stiles had no explanation as to why. 

 

He drove to school angry and a little hurt and nursing a ear ache as Cora had used it to vent her frustration. He arrived just in time to see the pack pull up in unison, and Derek was among them. He waved jovially at Stiles who returned it but couldn’t help but notice the disappointed look Scott had at seeing the interaction. Stiles jogged over there to ask why the other was coming to school rather than his house as planned but he was sidelined by Lydia as she hooked an arm around his. 

 

Scott led the others away. 

 

“Listen, Stiles. Doctor Deaton told us that he and his druid friend know how to restore Derek. They won’t be back in town for the full moon, tonight, but it should be done in a month, we talked about it and its best that you start to cut ties now… this isn’t healthy for you pretending you have a friendship with the man… Scott needs him to figure out what Kate’s motive is, we need him focused on that… leave us alone.” The strawberry blond didn’t bother to sugar coat it and she stopped the other from speaking as she continued. “Chris is back in town, and he is really curious as to why his sister would involve the Calaveras. They apparently don’t hunt shifters, so he thinks that is why she chose them but they are more loyal to him and he has a meeting set up for us in a couple of days with their matriarch. We want Derek to be there too, but it could be a trap, so he needs to be prepared and focused!” 

 

“Okay, but…”

 

“No. Stiles stop! Enough is enough. No more!” The banshee did a fabulous job of keeping her voice and tone friendly despite the threatening words. She did have appearances to keep up on at school.

 

Stiles cared far less as he shouted, “I need to talk to him! I have something important to tell him about him becoming an adult!” 

 

Several people stared as they entered the school building. 

 

“Well whatever it is, you can tell me and I’ll pass it along…” Lydia huffed and eyed the strangers who dare to stare at them, warningly. 

 

“I need to tell him!” Stiles insisted, while only raising his voice louder. 

 

“Keep it down!” The strawberry blond hissed. 

 

“No!” Stiles argued. “You can’t stop him from talking to me all day!” And with that Stiles ducked under her outstretched arm and jogged off to first hour.

 

It turns out a pack of supernatural teens could in fact keep an unregistered student away from him all day. After they were all conspicuously absent from the lunchroom, he had started to doubt that Derek was even still in the building. So Stiles was surprised, to say the least, when all of them surrounded his Jeep at the end of the day. Derek had his arms crossed as he was leaning against the drivers side door. 

 

“I told Scott I quit his pack.” The fifteen year old boldly announced when the confused owner of the Jeep they were encircling strode up.

 

“You can’t…” Stiles said with a sigh, “well, maybe we can go talk to Satomi, I’ve actually been thinking about it for a while.”

 

Derek’s face lit up, but Scott scowled. 

 

“No! You’ll regret it when you’re older, you don’t want any ties with this area, you were trying to leave it.” Scott said with his eyes flaring their alpha red. 

 

Neither Derek nor Stiles looked impressed. 

 

“So, you coming over? Cora has about had it with you canceling on her!” Stiles ignored the others as he threw his backpack into the backseat and attempted to enter his car. 

 

“No he isn’t!” Scott moved to block Stiles’s path at the same time Derek tried to clear it. 

 

“Yes, I am.” Derek replied, his voice was dripping with annoyance.

 

The two squabbled for just a minute. It was all the time Stiles needed to get behind the wheel. Derek beamed as he made his way to the passenger seat. 

 

Lydia dared to block the wolf’s path this time. 

 

“You’ll regret this when your older again next month.” She warned lowly just in case the students around them were listening in. 

 

“He wouldn’t have to wait that long if you would just let me talk to him!” Stiles exploded, and then instantly regretted it. Maybe they wouldn’t put two and two together. 

 

Danny raised his eyebrows and Stiles heart dropped. He looked at the other, pleading him to read his mind and let him tell this to Derek first. 

 

That was the wrong wish to make, as Lydia gasped.

 

“You know how to restore him!” She told the group. “We could do it tonight!” She suggested. 

 

Malia and Kira looked intrigued. Isaac appeared hopeful, and Ethan was indifferent. But, Scott looked outraged. 

 

“How long have you known?” He asked with narrowed eyes. 

 

Stiles chose not to respond and looked at Derek instead. The fifteen year old looked… hurt or at the very least uncomfortable and Stiles knew right then and there that he should have told him privately, when he had the chance. He knew the kid didn’t appreciate being talked about so blatantly in front of him. He knew that Derek feared becoming old and bitter again. And by spilling the beans in front of his pack, Stiles took his choice in the manner away from him. 

 

Stiles mouthed the words ‘I’m sorry’ to his last remaining friend but the other adverted his eyes away. The action broke what was left in the pale teen. He gripped his steering wheel tightly and focused on his breathing. What had he done?

 

Scott pounded on the hood of his car to get his attention. 

 

“Where is it?” Scott said in a tone that suggested it wasn’t the first time he had asked. “Where is the research, Stiles?”

 

*** 

 

By the time Stiles had made it home from school in his Jeep, the alpha werewolf had already tore apart his room, unnecessarily, as the missing research folder he had taken was formerly out in the open on his desk.

 

A large part of him wanted to cry as he sat there all alone, and resigned himself to the fact that this was his future now, pack-less, and now friendless…

 

*** 

 

Derek sat ridged in his alpha’s bedroom as Lydia read and reread all the notes Stiles had made on the subject of moon rituals. It describe in great detail the one that had turned him back several years and how to undo it. Stiles had even helpfully wrote the Nemeton as a magical place and Pack as a substitute for family. Did Derek consider these people pack? He was ready to challenge his alpha; a sure fire way to make yourself an omega. But, Scott had proven himself extremely helpful when helping the younger werewolf learn to keep in control. 

 

Derek often found himself relaying on his family’s traditional mantra of ‘Alpha, Beta, Omega’ over and over again, but when that wasn’t enough, his alpha, as annoyingly young and full of himself as he was, proved to be useful by reminding him to focus on his anchor. 

 

Growing up a Hale, he was taught by his mother that once he hit adolescents, he would need an anchor and hers was their pack… family. He had thought he’d used that too, but somewhere along the way he thought his anchor might be love, the love he thought he felt for Paige. His uncle Peter explained to him that anchors could be emotions, but warned against tying that emotion to a singular person. He knew now how that ended for him and that he found a new anchor in his rage…

 

But being fifteen again, that no longer seemed right. The fact that his family was almost all gone and he hadn’t instantly gone insane was what really sealed the fact that he had a new anchor. And a part of him knew, when he saw him that it just might be Stiles. The pale teen simply calmed his inner wolf. He couldn’t help but smirk or outright laugh at half of the things he said, and he genuinely trusted him, which is something that couldn’t be said for the rest of his pack as they all seem to have alternative motives. 

 

It was disheartening, to say the least, to hear that Stiles had kept this important information from him. But, it was worse, far worse that he told Scott first, because the true alpha and Lydia had quickly agreed that it would be better for him to be an adult again for their meeting with the Calaveras… about Kate. Honestly, they were probably right, but selfishly Derek would have told Stiles he wasn’t ready and that he wanted another month of being fifteen and his friend, as it sounded like they were less so when he was an adult. 

 

Although, his Wolf seemed to doubt that too. 

 

But he sat there, surrounded by his pack that he barely knew and listened to them decide his fate without so much as a consult to see how he felt about everything. 

 

Derek wondered if it would really work with him being so reluctant. He wondered if the pack was enough, or if he would need Stiles there as well…

 

*** 

 

Stiles withered in his self pity for hours. It was dark now and his insanely annoying phone had reminded him several times that he skipped dinner, but that hardly matter to the mole-dotted teen. He couldn’t get the image of hurt, young Derek out of his mind. 

 

Young Derek. After tonight he wouldn’t be able to think that again…

 

His phone beeped again. He was just about ready to chuck it at the wall when he realized it wasn’t his alarm this time, but an incoming text. It was from Cora and simply said, ‘Go get him! Idiot’

 

It took Stiles less than a minute to set his resolve as he grabbed his red hoodie and raced down to his Jeep. He waved at the inconspicuous patrol car guarding his house as he drove past. 

 

*** 

 

Derek was dragged out to the woods as soon as it was dark. Lydia had reminded them all multiple times that the Nemeton wouldn’t appear for them unless it wanted to, so they had to believe. They had now been wondering in the forest for over an hour…

 

At least it was a clear night and the moon was as bright as it was round. 

 

Eventually, the werewolves heard a rustling in a bush not far in the distance that caused all of them to perk up as it was clearly not a woodland creature. 

 

Derek smiled as he sniffed the air. “Stiles!” He called. 

 

The paler teen in question came into view wearing an overly large red jacket with the hood obscuring his haphazard hair. He held a baseball bat in one hand and a flashlight in the other. The combination should have made him appear ridiculous, but some how it worked together to create a more intimidating look. It might have been his sure footedness as he moved across the foliage with ease. 

 

“I’m glad I caught up!” Stiles called back his eyes locked on Derek’s. 

 

“I’m sorry.” They both said in unison. 

 

Lydia rolled her eyes, dramatically. 

 

“What are you doing here, Stiles?” Scott questioned, annoyed.

 

Stiles ignored the alpha as he reached Derek and gave him a sideways hug and said that he couldn’t let him turn back with out thanking him for being such a good friend when he was de-aged. Derek laughed and admitted that he would’ve stayed fifteen if he was given a choice. 

 

“Well, I don’t think you’re growing up today, anyways…” Malia told the pair as she blatantly eavesdropped on their conversation. “We’ve been out here for ever, I don’t think the stump is showing up.” She added, doubtful. 

 

“I’m not actually sure it exists…” Ethan agreed with the were-coyote. 

 

“I saw it once, or well the cellar beneath it, its real.” Isaac defended their long walk in circles. 

 

“Have you guys looked properly?” Stiles asked. “You know, with your eyes!” He bulged his own brown orbs for emphasis. 

 

Scott said something along the lines that they didn’t need his help at the same time as Kira, who was holding the alpha’s hand, asked what he meant. 

 

“He means with your werewolf eyes!” Danny piped up as he understood. 

 

“Or kitsune or coyote eyes!” Malia corrected as her ice blue orbs scanned the forest eagerly.

 

“We’ve got it from here, Stiles!” Scott said, wiping the smile from everyone’s face. 

 

Derek grabbed the teen’s hand firmly stopping Stiles from facing off against his former best friend. He spun around and looked questioningly at Derek instead. 

 

“Either they find it or they don’t and it may or may not work, but let’s say goodbye now, because you don’t deserve to be talk down by someone you once considered a brother.” Derek said, sadly. “I’ll call you in the morning!” He added brightly. 

 

Stiles started to nod, but Lydia’s shrill voice interrupted his action. 

 

“He won’t be calling you!” She savagely told them both. “He’ll probably be disgusted if he even remembers all of this!” She pointed to where their hands were still clamped together. “Taking advantage of Malia wasn’t enough?”

 

Stiles furrowed his brow. It wasn’t anything more than a friendship, he had little interaction aside from Derek or his father or his doctor for almost a month now, somewhere during that time he grew clingy and touchy-feely, but it was probably more out of a need to feel wanted and needed than anything else. They were only friends, how dare she accuse him of manipulating the fifteen year old into anything more than that… or Malia, for that matter. 

 

Stiles opened his mouth to say so but Scott quickly caught on to the banshee’s assumption and asked him to leave right away. Usually most of the rest of the pack would look sad or annoyed when Scott’s mood would swing so harshly in that direction towards Stiles. But this time they mostly looked alarmed and shocked. And no one dared to defend him, not even Danny.

 

Stiles looked at everyone briefly before turning to Derek who’s cheeks were red at the implication.

 

“I’m sorry.” Stiles said again. “You know I would never…”

 

“I know.” Derek quickly agreed. “Do me a favor, when you get home, eat something for dinner, don’t skip it, not tonight, not because of this!” He added with an imploring glare that was softened immensely by the grin he wore. 

 

Stiles took one last look at the happy and youthful Derek, as it very well might be the last he would see him, before he turned around and left group all gawking at him. 

 

“I didn’t think the were like an item!” Ethan said once they couldn’t hear Stiles’s fading footsteps any longer. 

 

“I didn’t know Stiles swung both ways!” Danny replied with half a smirk at his boyfriend. “I would have taken him more seriously when I made that offer to him last year…” 

 

“We’re not…” Derek replied with a blue eyed glare at Lydia. “A couple, that is.”

 

Scott shook his head, “He has had a thing for you for a while… that’s why I thought it was such a bad idea for you to spend so much time around him at this age, older you seems to avoid him a lot, I think it’s because you know, and you don’t want some seventeen year old pining over you...”

 

Derek’s stomach clenched at the thought. He had no idea what his older self thought of him, but his younger self felt a connection of some kind. And he did like Paige and she is a girl, but he wasn’t sure if that meant he didn’t like guys too. 

 

Derek was so wrapped up thinking about all of it, he missed it when Kira gasped as she made a comment on how large the tree stump was. 

 

The ceremony was easy, especially for him as all he had to do was sit in the middle of the stump. The rest of the pack had to do some chanting under the moon’s light. 

 

It didn’t work. Or at least it didn’t work at first, although the notes said it was to be done during the most prime moonlight time, and no one was quite sure when that was. After hours of listening to their chanting, Derek fell asleep.

 

His body was surrounded by a glow as bright as the moon’s. Lydia cheered. A few muttered ‘Finally’ or ‘Thank god!’ but everyone dropped to the ground in exhaustion. Scott announced that they would stay and guard the glowing ball of light until morning. There was little complaint. 

 

*** 

 

Stiles was a mix of emotions as he walked back to his Jeep. How dare Lydia accuse him of taking advantage of Derek! How dare she! And the pack just sat there and blindly accept it as fact… And Scott, probably the only one to even know that he ever had a slight crush on the older werewolf, gave him a look plainly stating that he was right. Right to separate young Derek from him… 

 

Stiles was fuming when he placed the key in his ignition, allowing his Jeep to roar to life and speed down the dirt path.

 

He was livid when he pulled onto the highway, kicking up a cloud of dust from the rocky connecting road.

 

He was just so filled with rage. 

 

He didn’t see it coming, until it was too late. The bright flash of headlights. 

 

Stiles’s blue Jeep was t-boned a little past eleven on that Monday night.

 

*** 

 

“911, what’s your emergency?”

 

“Oh my god! Oh my god! I need an ambulance, like right now!” 

 

“Sir, calm down what happened?”

 

“There was a car crash, this Jeep it came out of no where, I hit him… driver’s side, there was just the driver… he’s not… he’s not breathing…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning!!  
> -There is a major cliffhanger  
> -A car accident  
> \- A 911 call relaying that accident  
> -aparent main character death...


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter ended with a cliffhanger, the edge was intimidating, well we have fallen off that edge, somehow survived, and now landed on the side of a cliff overlooking hell… the same warning applies, doubly!! This one was difficult to write and I’m sure it will be heart wrenching to read, so please have a tissue ready…. I’m so sorry… please give it to me in the comments! Yell, kick, and scream! Beat up that comment box! 
> 
>  
> 
> I promise you… it will be okay.

The pack woke to the sound of a piercing scream. They all quickly jumped to attention with leaves sticking to them awkwardly as they had some how fallen asleep while still forming the circle around Derek. 

 

Scott panicked at the sound of his banshee’s shriek and his eyes darted to the still form on the tree root in front of them. What if the ritual Stiles gave him backfired! He thought angrily.

 

Derek was larger than he was the previous night, simply taking up more space on the vast stump. He was also very obviously naked… and definitely breathing although his face was scrunched up in pain and now that the alpha was looking properly he could see the smallest nuance of jerky movements. 

 

Knowing that the scream wasn’t for Derek, not yet, anyways he turned to his strawberry blond haired friend who was now accented with foliage. She was shaking with tears… Kira was already comforting her. 

 

Isaac made his way to Derek’s side, certainly having the same fear; that the scream that woke them all was for the newly reformed adult. Danny glanced at Lydia in concern as he had yet to experience the banshee’s full force and Ethan gave the girl a reproachful look for the early morning wake up call. 

 

It was Malia who dare to ask the question, as they all stood there too quiet for her liking. “Well, who was it? Who’s in danger?” 

 

“St… Stiles…” Lydia sobbed.

 

Scott jerked his head up so quickly as the breath of the word left the banshee’s lips, that he surely would have had whip lash if he wasn’t a werewolf. 

 

“That can’t be…” He failed to form the words to finish his lame sentence of denial. 

 

“Where is he?” Derek growled. He was standing now but still fully nude and brushing off Isaac’s words of concern. His entire being radiated anger. The werewolf’s fangs and claws were visible and his stance was set to one of attack readiness. Scott quickly placed himself between the raged filled werewolf and the strawberry blond girl who was still crying profusely. 

 

The naked man in front of him had just relived eight long and harsh years. Scott thought bitterly that this reaction should have been expected. 

 

“Calm down, Derek.” Scott ordered in his most pompous voice. “We’ll find him,” he added, but the unsureness in his tone was apparent to all. 

 

“Get out of my way, Scott.” Derek ground out. His voice was low and threatening. “Where is he?” He asked the banshee again as he advanced towards her. 

 

“Derek stop!” Scott demanded with a flare of his crimson eyes. While he was quick to boss around the fifteen year old version of the man standing before him, he had rarely done so with the adult, who had once been his alpha. 

 

Derek didn’t halt. The large man continued his advance, but this time, his direction was towards the true alpha who squared his shoulders, readying himself for the confrontation. 

 

“I said get out of my way!” The larger werewolf roared, flashing his eyes back. 

 

But instead of the light blue that they had grown accustomed to, Derek’s eyes were once again a searing alpha red. He met Scott who was startled at the revelation and easily lifted the younger alpha off his feet as he tossed the teen to the side. 

 

“Where is he?” Derek reached his target. 

 

Lydia was quaking. She just watched the enraged alpha werewolf who stood before her, take out her alpha, true alpha, Scott McCall with one quick swipe. 

 

“Hos… hospital!” She squeaked and closed her eyes, as she truly wasn’t sure what Derek’s plan was now that he had the information he wanted. Just that, if he so chose to kill her in a fit of rage, at that moment, there was nothing any of the others could do about it. 

 

Derek didn’t even look back at the group of startled teens as he shifted fully into his alpha form, a large and shaggy black wolf. The beast disappeared between the shrubbery in seconds. 

 

Nobody moved for a full minute. 

 

It was Scott who spoke first as he stood up nursing his left shoulder. “We have to get to the hospital, lets go.” 

 

While it was an order, it was said more as a suggestion because Scott’s heart was filling up with self doubt. He had made so many decisions that led to his pack being here at this moment and he couldn’t help but wonder if it was all crumbling away around him as he knew now that he lost Derek as a trusted beta for good, and worse than that, he might have lost Stiles too. 

 

The thought brought such a mix of emotions to life in the true alpha, that he was honestly not sure of how he felt… he wasn’t sure of anything anymore, least of all himself. 

 

The pack would surely sense that. 

 

*** 

 

The sheriff was working later than usual; covering for one of his deputies that had returned the favor and worked the older Stilinski’s Sunday morning shift so he could be at his son’s doctor appointment the day before. 

 

It was a Monday night, in what was usually a quiet town, in spite of the looming supernatural presence. It should have been an easy shift, but as soon as that thought crossed his mind, he knew he’d cursed his own luck. 

 

It was almost midnight when he got a call on the radio requesting a private line with the sheriff. He knew, in his gut, that this was going to be a long night as soon as he switched stations. The dispatcher told him that there was a car accident involving a blue Jeep off the highway. The description sounded right, but what was his son doing out that way at this time of night? 

 

It wouldn’t have been Stiles’s first nighttime stroll in the preserve and that thought alone clinch the dread in his heart. He just new it, it was his son that the dispatcher had said was revived at the scene and was now currently fighting for his life at Beacon Hills memorial. 

 

The man set a speed record, he got there so fast. As the older Stilinski threw open the ER doors yelling for his son, he was impeded by a small purple object with curly hair. 

 

Melissa greeted him, in tears. The nurse was red faced and puffy eyed as the sheriff came barreling into the ER waiting room. She shook her head as she grabbed the man to both lend and receive support. Many onlookers, most of whom were the nurse’s co-workers, gazed at the two with pity rendering their features. 

 

“He wasn’t breathing! They resuscitated him at the scene…” Melissa started to explain in between sobs. “His heart stopped two times in the ambulance… Its not good, critical condition, they cleared the OR for him, but I took one look… he’s barely recognizable… but your son… our… Stiles…”

 

The sheriff was unable to form words but clung desperately to everything the woman told him as he held her just as tightly. The two would probably have had collapsed on the waiting room floor had a sincere friend of Melissa not gently guided them into her office and away from the onlookers. 

 

“I can’t loose him too…” The older Stilinski said weekly. 

 

Melissa only cried harder.

 

*** 

 

That was eight hours ago. 

 

Now Stiles’s father, all cried out and praying to a god he wasn’t sure he believed in any longer, sat in the dull waiting room clutching a cold coffee in one hand and Melissa’s in the other. Neither had been able to sleep as they waited for any news or update from the operating room. They both stared, zombie like, at the doors that occasionally gave them insufficient information. They knew that several doctors were called in and because Melissa was familiar with the codes, she new that they had requested more blood in Stiles’s type from a neighboring facility. 

 

The actual state of Stiles’s being, however, remained a mystery. 

 

Without a doubt the horrific car crash was the only interesting incident all night and into the morning. Meaning that besides the nurse’s steady streams, the waiting room was actually fairly quiet. That was rudely interrupted when the automatic doors open and a large black dog entered at a high speed, charging right past security.

 

The officer chased after in vein as the monstrosity moved with a purpose towards the doors labeled ‘OR’. Several nurses were able to impede its path by then causing the large animal to bark wildly. This caught the attention of everyone present, including the sheriff, who may be off duty, but still more then willing to assist the guard who was clearly in over his head with this situation.

 

“Who let a dog in?” One physician assistant called from a nearby stand, impatiently. 

 

The sheriff, momentarily distracted, called pointlessly for the animal to come. To his and everyone else’s surprise, it listened. Melissa gaped as it now bounded clumsily in her direction. As it did so, it looked directly at her and she noticed the unusual and unnatural red eyes that so far were ignored by the panicked people surrounding it. 

 

She indicated for them to head to the private office once more, rather then out side which left Stiles father wondering, but he soon followed the nurse with the dog trailing obediently behind. 

 

“It’s an alpha! I think it might be Scott!” Melissa said in a hushed tone despite their privacy in the secluded office as soon as the door was shut with the three of them in there. 

 

The dog hopped and growled at her words while the sheriff looked concerned for his friend. 

 

“What makes…” he started to asked but was interrupted as Melissa explained.

 

“Look at his eyes! I think Scott did something stupid!” She admitted, annoyed. “Your best friend is dying and you go and get yourself turned into a dog! Unbelievable!” She scolded, only causing the wolf to whimper and pace. 

 

The sheriff looked thoughtfully at the creature. 

 

“Jesus… It was a full moon, maybe this is something they do but didn’t tell us about…” He suggested. 

 

“I can’t imagine why they would keep this from us… maybe though, they do go to the woods usually that night…” Melissa agreed, reluctantly. “Is he stuck? My son got stuck didn’t he…” 

 

The black animal huffed and shook its head but that action was missed by the adults as they chatted about it in matching tones of disbelief. 

 

The sheriff only gave her sympathetic looks.

 

They sat there, ignoring the animal as it pawed for their attention, discussing possibility until there was a second commotion that interrupted them, coming from the waiting room.

 

The nurse poked her head out to see seven disgruntled and slightly dirty looking teenagers harassing the check in nurse at the desk near the door. 

 

“Where is Stiles!” One demanded.

 

“Have you seen our w… dog?” Another asked, sheepishly.

 

“What happened to the sheriff’s son? He is here, right?” Another asked, concerned.

 

“The dogs here!” One pointed out while indicating the muddy paw prints. “Look!”

 

“Where is my mom!” A very overwhelmed Scott asked, fighting his way past the others to be seen by the nurse. 

 

The lady was staring at the mass of them and trying to recover as she decided what question to tackle first. She was rescued by a shocked Melissa who called across the room and waved them over. 

 

“That’s not Scott!” She hissed to the sheriff who found himself petty the animal, unthinkingly, and froze mid stride in the action.

 

“If it’s not… then who?” He asked the wolf rather than the nurse and he stared at his hand in horror. “Who did I pet?” He screeched darting away from the shaggy creature in alarm. 

 

Derek who absentmindedly was keening into the petting whined when the action stopped but then quickly remembered why he was here in this form. Stiles! 

 

The others barreled into the now crowded office. 

 

“Derek!” Isaac yelled, relieved. 

 

“Glad he is here.” Ethan added. 

 

“Is Stiles…” Scott asked his mom in a small voice, causing Kira to spill over in tears, again. 

 

The sheriff looked at Isaac with his eyebrows raised and then back at the dark wolf, but instead of seeing the four legged creature, or the teen he had grown accustomed to over the past month, he saw a very naked man glaring at all of the intruders with dislike while awkwardly trying to shield himself from view. 

 

Melissa looked at the teens before her and couldn’t help it she was just so suddenly enraged. Where were these people for the last eight hours? Why were they just now asking about their friend who was hit and nearly killed on the highway near the woods, all alone? How dare they sound concerned now! And worse how dare they not, as half of them simply seemed relief that they had found their missing dog…Derek! And, Scott, who all but condemned her other son to this fate just the other day, had the nerve to barge in here, her place of work, asking for her and daring to sound brokenly hurt as he inquired after his onetime best friend… 

 

She slapped him. The stinging sound instantly quieted the packed room. Everyone looked at the two McCalls. 

 

“How dare you act concern now!” Melissa whispered, acidly. 

 

Scott clutched his reddening cheek, shocked. 

 

“It’s been hours!” Melissa continued, “hours! He died, they have restarted his heart twice! We’re not sure if…” she was unable to finish the sentence and buried her head into the sheriff’s shoulder instead. 

 

Scott remained quiet while he processed what his mother told him. 

 

Derek broke the silence first as he asked in a rough and deeper voice than usual, even in his adult form, “what… what happen?” The entire room heard the slight sob at the end of that question. 

 

“Car accident…” the sheriff offered, weekly. 

 

“Oh!” Derek sighed. “I was worried… he was so depressed… had all those doctor appointments and that food journal, he barely ate, I thought maybe he might have hurt…” the newly reformed alpha was unable to finish his despairing thought and worry. 

 

Malia asked before anyone else was able to, “what do you mean doctor appointments? What was wrong with him?” 

 

“He was depressed…” 

 

Derek said at the same time the sheriff replied, “frontotemporal dementia…”

 

Several people asked, ‘what?’

 

Lydia gasped. 

 

Scott looked at his mother and weakly said, “no…”

 

“Yes, Scott…” the nurse replied, still in an icy tone. “You were to busy kicking him out of your pack to even notice.” She accused. 

 

The sheriff squeezed her shoulders both comforting and warningly, encouraging the upset woman to not say something she may regret later. 

 

The nurse recovered, but rather then offer he son an apology for her harsh words, she leaned into the bottom desk drawer and removed a spare nurse’s scrub and passed it to the still nude Derek, who was looking curiously at the sheriff.

 

He accepted the offer and quickly covered up. The outfit, meant for a smaller woman was tight on his renewed larger form. The arm and thigh muscles bulge obscenely but the teal color accented his dark scruff and eyes nicely. Melissa knew if he stepped out of the office he would get several bed side request for patient care immediately. Probably every woman in the building would ask for him if they saw him, and half the men too. 

 

“What is fronto… temperature…” the adult werewolf struggled to ask. 

 

The sheriff took pity on the man and helped him out. “Frontotemporal dementia.”

 

“It’s what his mom passed away from…” Scott said. The true alpha looked like he was going to be sick.

 

“He’s too young…” Lydia piped up, weakly. “How?”

 

“Youngest case his specialist has ever seen.” The sheriff agreed. “He was given approximately ten or so years… but…” 

 

“I… I thought he was depressed.” Derek admitted in a small voice. “He seemed so lonely and all of his friends were being jerks… myself included, I went to Mexico to look for Peter… I didn’t stick around to see how he was recovering after… I just, took him for granted…” 

 

All of the teen’s looked an odd mix between shocked and impressed as the once-again alpha spoke so much. They were starting to accept that the younger Derek had less issues with words, but this was the adult and broody form again. And here he was using complete, if not broken sentences.

 

And, he clearly retained his younger self’s memories. So that question was answered. 

 

“Why do you even care?” Danny asked the banshee who looked like she too was slapped by the words. “You don’t even like him… you should just leave now that we know Derek is fine!” He added, not bothering to filter the harsh tone.

 

“What!?” Lydia attempted to defend herself. “Of course I care! He was my friend too! And, he’s dying!”

 

“No. He wasn’t.” Malia agreed with the lacrosse goalie. “You told us all, all the time how much you hated him, how you’d never forgive him, and how I shouldn’t either…” 

 

The strawberry blond appeared credulous. It wasn’t a pretty look for her. 

 

“He said something once… along the lines that he wished he had died instead of Allison and Aiden…” Derek informed them, sadly.

 

The sheriff and Scott’s head snapped up simultaneously.

 

“What! You mentioned thinking he was depressed, but I had no idea he felt that way… my baby…” the older Stilinski said more to himself, wondering how he missed that. 

 

Melissa comforted him this time. 

 

“Why didn’t he say anything?” Scott asked, quietly. 

 

“You weren’t there to listen!” Derek jumped at his former alpha, angered once again, that the teen dared to question the thought process of his former best friend that he abandoned. 

 

Scott couldn’t defend himself. 

 

“I don’t know what it was like before you found me in that wall, fifteen again, but it was obvious you kept him out of pack business and you ordered me to stay away from him, too!” Derek purposely showed some fang at the thought. “He had no one if he didn’t have you guys, and you damn well know that Scott!”

 

Scott hung his head ashamed. Kira, who had stayed relatively quiet as she listened to all the accusations and emotions swirling from person to person, leaned towards her alpha in a placating motion. He grabbed her hand, eventually. 

 

“When did he find out about the disease?” Ethan asked as everyone’s heads attempted to process everything. 

 

“It’s been about four weeks of appointments…” the sheriff looked to Melissa for confirmation.

 

“So, it was probably the same weekend we went to Mexico.” Isaac said, unhelpful.

 

“Mexico!” Melissa shouted, eyes darting between Isaac and Scott’s. “You said you went camping!”

 

Neither replied. 

 

The group spent over an hour arguing and blaming each other and consequently everyone felt their fair share of grief and guilt. Scott was beside himself, a blubbering mess, and no one, not his mother, or Kira, or even Lydia defended his poor choices that led him here. The sheriff was overcome with worry, not understanding how he failed to miss how hurt and alone his son truly was, for his only friend to assume he was seeing a therapist for depression. Melissa was equally blaming herself for failing to be there for her pseudo son. 

 

Derek in turn blamed his previous former adult self for constantly abandoning the pale teen. He knew now what Stiles meant to him. Somewhere between kanima and alpha attacks, his annoyance with the kid grew into something resembling respect. He couldn’t help it. And when it turned out that small, skinny, and defenseless Stiles wasn’t only sleepwalking, which was bad enough, but in serious danger as the nogitsune used his body as it seemed fit and split his mind, Derek panicked. 

 

He felt a pull to help the teen and once Stiles was okay again and the nogitsune was safely captured, the twenty four year old panicked once more, but for a whole new reason. He couldn’t allow his wolf to latch on to a teenager for an anchor! He would be worse than Kate to admit that his anchor shifted from anger to love again and furthermore, that love was tied to a teenage human for a second time. He had to leave. He needed Peter to tell him what to do. So he told Scott he was going to find his uncle and visit his sister, forever if that’s what it took for his wolf to stop longing for the sheriff’s off limits and underage son… 

 

Stiles was under his alpha who happened to be the teen’s best friend, he thought his new anchor was safe. And Derek left him…

 

Danny felt uncomfortable. Of all the kids in school, Stiles was one of the most unique. He had a way of getting under most of the teacher’s skin in a manner they usually resulted in a laugh for the class at large. Now that he knew him a little bit better, Danny saw the complex teen for what he really was, and he couldn’t help but feel guilty as it felt like he was replacing him in the pack. It wasn’t right, and now he may die and Danny would never get a chance to apologize.

 

Kira and Isaac shifted uncomfortably as they were both sympathetic to everyone’s plight and worried for Stiles in equal measure. Ethan truly disliked situations like this and desperately wanted to escaped but also found, to his surprise, that he cared too much for the sheriff’s son to leave. Malia looked confused. There were two alphas here now, why didn’t one of them force their way into Stiles room and bite him?

 

Lydia had sobbed non stop from the moment she screamed that morning, waking everyone, even herself from the trance-like sleep. She wasn’t even sure why she screamed at first but then she felt it the tug of smile in her gut she would get when ever Stiles did something particularly funny in class. She hadn’t scream like that since Allison. Not even for Aiden, this one was filled with an emotion, that so clearly stated Stiles and all she could think about is what she had accused him of the night before. 

 

While some people, Danny, did have harsh things to say to her, thankfully no one had brought that up. But she thought it over and over again. She actually started to feel sorry for herself, she was beating herself up internally so much. What did that say about her that she even dared to think selfishly at a time like this? It was a revelation she wasn’t ready to consider. But the worse thing, she kept thinking what Allison would have done if say Lydia had died and they all pushed Stiles away as a result. And she couldn’t imagine it, she kept thinking Allison wouldn’t have allowed Stiles to feel more blame for he surely would have been torn up over his void form killing the banshee and Allison probably would have provided a shoulder for him to cry on. Allison would be so disappointed in her now…

 

The guilt was so strong in the air that it was actually difficult for the werewolves to sense where it was coming from. 

 

They also missed the footsteps approaching. 

 

There was a small knock on the office door. A meek, elderly, doctor entered. She looked around the large group with wide eyes, clearly not expecting this many people.

 

“You’re all friends with Stiles, correct?” She asked, causing several heads to turn. 

 

“No!” Melissa shrieked, falling to the floor. “No, no, no… you can’t!” 

 

Because the nurse knew. It was an unspoken rule in the ER. Doctors always reported their patient updates to the family. Nurses could give status changes or other information, but anything major and it was a doctor, the only exception was when it was one of their own. Melissa knew that once Stiles was stable, she could expect at least fifteen of her friends racing over to them with the good news, so that fact that it was just Doctor Macklemore, who was notorious for maintaining a straight face through even the worse of reports, was a bad sign. 

 

“Mr. Stilinski, may I have a word?” She faltered for only a fraction of a second, seeing one of her best nurses fall to her knees. 

 

Time stopped for the sheriff. Everything in him told him that if he followed the doctor he would never get this moment back. This place he stood now where he still had a chance. He was Schrödinger’s cat. And by going with the doctor he was sealing his son’s fate. He felt a warm and comforting hand on his shoulder. It was Derek. 

 

“I’ll come for support.” The werewolf volunteered, solemnly, with a glance at the collapsed nurse on the floor. 

 

The physician looked inquisitorially at the man dressed in scrubs that she did not recognize. But allowed him to help the older Stilinski out of the room. 

 

Once sitting, seemingly alone, but well within earshot of all the shifters, the doctor allowed herself a look of sympathy. 

 

“I’m sorry,” she started. “We did all we could, his injuries were just too extensive… would you like a moment to say goodbye?” 

 

Derek wasn’t sure who was gripping whom tighter as both men failed to form words. 

 

They were led down the hall to a private room. Derek couldn’t help but turn his head to the double doors that reeked of Stiles’s blood on the way. An elderly, dark skinned doctor emerged talking sadly with a blond nurse who looked reserved. They muttered so lowly, that not even the alpha picked up on the entire sentence, but he heard Stiles’s name, which caught his attention and the phrase ‘for the better, really, glad you were so close’. He almost lost control and attacked right then and there. 

 

Maybe it was readable on the alpha’s face, because both the Doctor and nurse snapped up and met Derek’s eyes. They looked alarmed as Derek continued to glare. These people who smelled overwhelmingly like his Stiles as they were covered in his blood dare to suggest that this fate was better than any other, him leaving this world so abruptly… how dare they! But further more, something was strange about them, off… Derek just couldn’t place quite what it was that was wrong, however. 

 

The sheriff still clung to Derek and was halted as the other man froze to look at the doctors behind them. When the older Stilinski turned, both the doctor and nurse tried to look away, but it was too late. 

 

“Dr. Lavin… what? What are you doing here?” The sheriff called, surprising even himself that he was capable of words at that moment. 

 

The doctor looked uncomfortable.

 

“I’m sorry for your loss.” He started. “I was still in town and as your son’s physician, they called me in too, we did everything we could…” 

 

The hallway grew eerily silent with that standard statement. 

 

Doctor Macklemore coughed, pointedly getting their attention and urging them to a private room. 

 

Had the sheriff had more time to consider it, he would have realized the neuropsychologist and his nurse didn’t really have a place in the operating room. He also might have remembered that Dr. Lavin scheduled Stiles for an early Sunday appointment so they could return to the valley as soon as possible. They shouldn’t have been there. 

 

Doctor Macklemore pushed open the door and any chance the sheriff had of chasing that thought vanished.

 

Stiles was pale. Far paler than usual. He was still, motionless, no heartbeat, no breathing… he was clearly in an horrific accident. It was difficult for either man to look at him but simultaneously impossible to look away. Derek was silent. The sheriff was rendered speechless, also. 

 

They stayed there for over an hour before a crew came and said they gave him more time than allowed and the older Stilinski burst into tears and tried to argue for more time with his son. Derek held the shaky man, unable to form words of comfort. 

 

*** 

 

Melissa and the pack followed the patrol car that drove the sheriff and Derek to the former’s now empty house. While the nurse was welcomed, the same could not be said for the rest and eventually in a drunken rage everyone was kicked out, Melissa included. 

 

Derek tried to go home to his loft. He attempted to give the sheriff the space he clearly needed. He felt lost and anxious. Something in the pit of his stomach was missing… Stiles… 

 

He made it less then an hour before he found himself crawling into the mole speckled teen’s window and curling up in the deceased’s scent. 

 

*** 

 

He was awoken by the slurred and rage filled cries of the sheriff. At first, Derek assumed the older man found him inappropriately sleeping in his son’s bed, but he soon realized that Derek wasn’t the target of the shouting. 

 

“What do youuu mean he is misssssing?” The sheriff attempted to ask. “How the hellll does that happpen?” 

 

Derek couldn’t help it he went to go join the angry man, if nothing else, than to prevent him from doing something he would regret later. 

 

The sheriff didn’t seem surprised to see the newly returned adult coming from his stairs as he tossed his phone in a fit of rage and frustration at the man on the other end. 

 

“Sorrry to wake you.” The sheriff hiccuped. 

 

Derek looked concerned but didn’t have to say anything. 

 

“Somehow… someone… several bodies…” the older Stilinski tried to speak clearly, but the empty bottle of whiskey on the coffee table was a give-a-way for how difficult that task was for him. 

 

Derek patiently waited. 

 

“He’s gone.” The sheriff muttered. “Someone broke into the morgue and took him…”

 

Derek’s mask of horror and outrage was mimicked ten fold by the man staring at him. 

 

After a full minute to process that information, Derek asked, “but… why?”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick shout out to Jluis and Moose who both guessed the featured creature correctly! And ColdHeartedBitch who "fucking knew it!" Next up date will be this weekend, hopefully.

Emotions were high in the Stilinski household. The sheriff was torn. He needed to go to work, to be the lead on this missing body case. His son’s body… 

 

He was also still drunk and his face was an indistinguishable mix of tears and snot. Under any other circumstances, he would never have allowed himself to loose his inhibitions in such a graphic display and in front of the leather clad werewolf, no less. But, his son was dead. He was dead and now somehow also missing. 

 

Derek understood. He was extremely grateful at that moment that he was incapable of becoming so intoxicated, himself, because what would the two of them do together under the guise and lure of the amber liquid while starting the stages of mourning. He sat there on that couch and listened to the ramblings of the increasingly incoherent man. The sheriff was right to question the motive behind such a crime. Surely the transgressor would have known that they would have the entire Beacon Hills police force raining down on them for taking the sheriff’s son. 

 

But, it just as easily could have been a coincidence. Whoever stole the dearly departed, did so with the six most freshest of corpses. Whatever they were planning with them, it would seem that they needed the warmest of the cold bodies as they had only taken the ones added to the morgue that day. Derek couldn’t keep a disgusted look off his face at the thought. 

 

At first the sheriff’s mind went to dark places. Were these people stolen for some weird and certainly illegal sexual act? Necrophillia. And, they took his son! But, he recognized a few of the other victim’s names. 

 

Mrs. Halloway, she called into the station regularly to complain about her neighbors making too much noise (they had a one year old). She was well into her eighties. Mr. Polk, the retired pastry shop owner, recently celebrated his seventy fifth birthday by coming down to the station with a baker’s dozen for old times’ sake. And, Estella Carter, she was a known Alzheimer’s patient and a runner. The other officers usually called him to handle her as he was more understanding with the struggling family about their grandmother’s memory loss issues and he had a knack for finding the eighty year old. 

 

He hadn’t seen the full report yet to know the other victims’ ages, but it would be a likely guess to assume that his son was the youngest at seventeen. He never even reached his adulthood… This thought sidetracked the older Stilinski once more and the man burst into a new wave of tears. 

 

Derek was going through his own circulation of emotions. He had plans of finding who did this, whoever was enjoying this sick joke, and ripping their throats out… with his teeth… The thought brought a hint of a smile to his face. Stiles… he had threaten the pale kid once with the same fate. To Derek’s surprise, however, the action didn’t deter the teen in the slightest and before long, Derek was relying on him more and more. 

 

How many times was the spastic teen there for him? Even when he showed up younger than he should be, and being manipulated by his best friend. Stiles was there for him, told him about his family, and put him in contact with Cora…

 

Cora! Derek had to call his sister. He looked at the whimpering man next to him. He couldn’t leave the sheriff just yet. But, Cora had to know. She would undoubtedly be devastated. 

 

“Sir, sir…” Derek attempted to get the drunk and grieving man’s attention. “I vow to you, we will find who did this… we will find Stiles, and give him the funeral he deserves…” 

 

Derek had to pause as he choked up on the last words. Images of the make shift memorial him and Laura had for their family fluttered through his mind. He saw his older sister’s own grave next, not nearly enough for the wonderful woman she became… 

 

He remembered sneaking into the last row of Erica’s honoring that her mother had thrown, eventually. Stiles attended that one with him, the two sat in silence for hours. It was probably a record for the younger man, but at the time Derek didn’t even notice. The werewolf was too much of a chicken to attend Boyd’s wake, but with Stiles insistence he visited the man’s grave, spending the entire night apologizing to it. 

 

What would that be like for Stiles? Derek doubted he would be able to keep his wolf at bay long enough to not cause a public disturbance…

 

Noticing that the sheriff’s attention was once more on him, Derek continued. “We’ll find him… together, but you need to sleep this off… you’re not in the right state of mind… the station will need you to be…” Derek was struggling to fine the words he needed to tell the older man to go to bed and sober up without sounding cruel. 

 

Thankfully, the sheriff understood and wobbly got to his feet. Derek was there immediately at the older man’s side, assisting. The sheriff actually clung desperately to the contact, surprising them both. 

 

“We need to find my son, so get me to bed, I’m waking you as soon as the sun rises!” He warned, grateful for the pledge of help from the werewolf. Together they managed to return to the top of the stairs where the older man used the wall to guide himself to his room. 

 

Derek fetched a glass of water from the man’s adjoining bathroom to place on his bedside table. He noticed a large bottle of Tylenol and grabbed the whole thing, before second guessing himself and taking two out to join the water. The older man was already asleep.

 

Even the sheriff’s snores sounded like they were grieving , the baritone was so deep. The renewed alpha thought as he exited and reentered Stiles’s bedroom. The space was just as he left it but also, somehow, twice as empty. 

 

Derek glanced around looking for the laptop for only a minute before he spotted it, right where it should be, on his desk, next to a ridiculous pile of research papers. The subjects varied vastly, what the hell was Stiles studying for school? Derek almost ignored them as he still had to Skype his sister, a task he had seen performed a hundred times over the last month, but now, he was nervous that he would not be able to complete it without his departed friend’s assistance. 

 

His eye caught on a handwritten scribble. It was next to an odd religious drawing of a cross, a deadly looking crucifix, as three of it’s points were filed into sharp peaks. Next to it was the words ‘can’t trust the Calaveras.’ Underneath that he scribbled ‘Mexico’ and under that it said ‘Derek’s car?’ And ‘Peter?’ 

 

It didn’t say anything else on that manner. It was like an unfinished thought and now that the seed of doubt was placed about the mysterious hunters that Chris was arranging a meeting with, Derek knew he would not be able to trust them. Stiles was helping, even from beyond the grave, and Derek would never allow that warning to go ignored.

 

His head buzzed with the day’s events. This new piece of information was really, just the tip of the iceberg. He remembered the reason behind him holding the old laptop in his hand, and gulped. He had to tell Cora…

 

Ten minutes later, as he had finally managed to find the call button (it was smaller than the accept button he usually would hit), and the device was ringing. 

 

“Stiles?” A groggy sounding Cora asked as her pixely face started to materialize. “Do you know what time it is here…” 

 

As she became more clear she gasped and cursed. “Derek? It’s five in the morning? I see the ceremony worked…” she didn’t sound particularly joyful at seeing her older brother again. 

 

Derek would have surely thought about that and maybe even question his younger sister had he been calling for any other reason, but instead he tentatively started to say, “Cora, I have something to tell you…” 

 

Delivering such devastating news never got any easier.

 

*** 

 

Scott was still in shock. Stiles, his best friend… his brother… 

 

He wasn’t even pack anymore, a bitter voice interrupted these thoughts. He wasn’t pack, he died thinking all of his friends hated him. Scott did that. The thought cause such deep pain in his heart. Guilt. The feeling stirred up other emotions.

 

He thought of loosing Allison, how much that hurt, how desperately he needed to find someone, anyone to blame. He had sat there in his bed after that loss, not unlike he was doing now. He was unwilling to talk to or see anyone, when Stiles burst through his door with a bowl of soup and Scott found his new target. All his pain from watching Allison die in his hands and he looked up and saw the face of the man who caused that. He had wolfed out and attacked, stopping himself just in time and ordering his best friend to leave him to clean up the spilled soup alone. Stiles never mentioned that incident.

 

That had hurt. But this, this was so much worse. Scott thought about Derek’s words at the hospital, how Stiles had wished that he was dead and Allison had survived… how much worse that would have been. The alpha never even appreciated the miracle that it was, the fact that Stiles survived a nogitsune possession. He didn’t realize what he was loosing by pushing his brother away. 

 

Who would he blame this time? He couldn’t blame the driver. Stiles pulled out in front of him, probably in a fit of rage from their recent encounter in the woods. Did that mean this was Stiles fault, that he caused his own death and subsequently all this guilt and pain? The only correct answer was himself, it was Scott’s fault …. Or was it no one at all? The true alpha considered this, things sometimes happen that are beyond any one’s control, he supposed. 

 

Like Stiles getting into a car accident. Or having frontotemporal dementia… like the fact that Scott was bit by Peter over a year ago now, or that Allison was a huntress, a huntress dead set in helping to find Lydia who was taken by the void form of his former best friend… maybe none of them could control any of those things… 

 

No. Stiles was sick, had an incurable disease. Scott was an alpha werewolf, who could have bitten him, saved him. Certainly werewolf Stiles would have survived that car accident, where his human body had failed him… that was Scott’s fault. He didn’t know because he never gave Stiles a chance to tell him… 

 

The alpha continued to ponder these things as he hit the ‘deny’ button repeatedly as each member of his pack attempted to reach out to him.

 

*** 

 

“Stiles… Stiles, focus, here my voice…” Doctor Lavin said in a demanding tone. 

 

The boy in question laid at his feet, sprawled out in the back of a spacious, unmarked van. His eyes were solid black, nothing left to distinguish the pupil from the sclera. He mostly didn’t move, but occasionally, thrashed about in an alarming display of flexibility; pale limbs flailing in an all new manner than before. He heard the request to focus but something else drove his instincts further, the smell of blood, not fresh… it was almost spoiled, but it was close by and he needed it… Stiles opened his jaw several times in a hope that he would manage to capture the source of the scent with his newly acquired sharp teeth. He failed, causing a new bout of jerky movements. 

 

The only other things besides himself and the older doctor in the van’s cab were several bodies, all dead. But, newly so. Their blood was on the verge of being wasted and the scent of it was overwhelming. Sitting in the front seat with her nose wrinkled, was the nurse. She was doing her best to maintain the speed limit as requested of her, but she tapped the steering wheel nervously at the illegal-ness of their actions. 

 

It had been at least two hundred years since she had even attempted anything this ludicrous. Helping a baby vampire escape the public eye. There was a reason her kind went so unnoticed, and it was simply because they almost never turned some one so young, with family still. Someone who had people they were leaving behind who would morn and miss them. Who would, with out a doubt, notice his body missing…

 

The nurse didn’t argue with her sire, though. The good doctor was usually right about these things. The two of them had spent their most recent years trying something new, different. Using their venom to help patients with memory loss. It gave them access to the elderly, so they could filter through potential victims, gathering blood from them. Doctor Lavin enjoyed learning, he was testing their venom on their aging craniums. He just had to be careful they didn’t die with the substance still running freely in their veins, as he didn’t want to father geriatric vampires. Stiles was a different case, however. 

 

They were both intrigued when they met him, not only was he unusually young to have acquired such a disease of the brain, but he also smelled like wolf. The scent was… unpleasant, woodsy, but tolerable. He undoubtedly was aware of the supernatural, if not, he was close to somebody who was. That was a first in all their years of practice. 

 

Dr. Lavin took an instant liking to the boy. And he quickly decided he would bite him prior to his natural death, if only to ensure he had enough of the venom to induce the change. He was hoping that over the years of working together as patient and doctor, that he would be able to confess his true identity and earn the young man’s trust. A selfish part of the doctor wanted to force the transformation on Stiles sooner rather than later, simply because he enjoyed the innocents and youth and hoped that the teen would maintain that in his afterlife. 

 

But, doctor Lavin couldn’t do that to the sheriff. Usually new born vamps required years of training and practice before they could be let loose, safely, on society. Typically, it would take at least fifty years and the sheriff didn’t have that kind of time left. He didn’t want to take his son from the man earlier than necessary. 

 

So he waited. It gave him time to build up enough stock in his wine cellars, anyways. 

 

But, then he got the worst news. Or the best news, because despite his centuries on earth, Dr. Lavin had never considered himself a patient man. The hospital called to inform him that his subject was in a horrific car accident. 

 

Both him and his nurse had to drive through the night to return to Beacon Hills in time. But they made it. He used his clearance to gain access to the boy during his extended time in the OR, and so gallantly delivered the extra bags of blood that were ordered for him. They also happened to inject each bag, ensuring that if Stiles life should end, he would certainly continue walking among them. 

 

After the third time his heart failed him, he died on the operation room table. And they had less than twenty four hours to get the body safely away from the hospital, before there was a whole new disaster.

 

“Stiles!” The doctor said sharply. “Focus on me. Look at me! I have a body for you, just look at me.” The older man sighed. It was always so troublesome, dealing with the newly bitten. 

 

He held an elderly woman across his lap with her neck exposed. The blood of the dead was not particularly appealing, but for the young vamp it would suffice until he could get the teen to his cellars.

 

The vineyard was a perfect cover for vampires. Several clans ran their own in Europe, and when the new world was discovered, Lavin was among the few who decided to venture off. Over the years he established a community among medical professionals, people who had access to blood banks that kept his cellar full. Some were also vampires who used the basement when necessary, even keeping their coffins there if they felt like slumbering for a decade or two, but most were people aware of the supernatural and understood the importance of appeasing the more powerful. 

 

“Stiles…” the doctor said again. “Focus…”

 

He was cut off as the young vampire abruptly flipped over into a crouched position and in a blink of an eye, shoved the old doctor back against the barrier separating the front seats from the cab with such a force there was now a Dr. Lavin shaped imprint in the wall. Stiles hissed. The vampire crawled awkwardly yet effectively towards the scent of the blood and lowered his head to her neck and bit hard. 

 

It was too hard. He broke the skin but also bone as he crushed her vertebrae with the force. He drank greedily and sloppily causing a crimson mess. 

 

The nurse jumped a little at the crash of her colleague behind her, but otherwise remained focus on her task. They knew the police would be hot on their trails, so they planned on dumping the bodies in different directions. They were currently heading north, and if the sound of the slurping going on behind her was any indication the first body would be ready for disposal soon. 

 

*** 

 

Chris Argent, now sporting a decent length beard, reluctantly stepped foot on American soil after his eleven hour flight. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to see the town his wife and daughter died in, just yet. But, Scott seemed desperate and he vowed to his daughter to help, to protect those who cannot protect themselves. 

 

With that in mind, he drove to the McCalls. 

 

Melissa answered the door. She was obviously recently crying and seemed startled to see the hunter standing on her front porch. Chris was taken aback by her distraught appearance. But, then again, the last few months were hard on everyone, of course the nurse was mourning in her own way, it was selfish of the hunter to assume he was the only one still affected. 

 

“Is Scott home?” He asked, tentatively. “I wanted to meet with him before we go greet my cousin.” He added, still unsure if it was appropriate for him to be so informal here. 

 

Melissa invited Chris inside and showed him the living room, offering him a seat while she retrieved her son. Scott initially ignored his mother’s knocking and the additional heartbeat in his house, assuming it was a member of his pack. But once she told him who it really was, he quickly scrambled to appear decent. He had completely forgotten about the hunters he was soon to be meeting and Kate. But, both were still a threat. Loosing Stiles didn’t change that. 

 

The true alpha quickly dressed into something cleaner and greeted his guest, Allison’s dad. The man appeared older, aged by grief, no doubt. His hair and beard were longer and untidy, perhaps he was a bit thinner, but he still carried his weapons, wolfsbane and all by the scent of them. 

 

“Thank you for coming.” Scott said, his voice sounded thick in its disuse. 

 

“Thank you for telling me about my sister.” The hunter replied. “Would you like to call your pack, for this meeting? Proper delegation and all?” He asked in a kind manner that clashed roughly with how stiff he sat. 

 

His pack. Would they even come? He had ignored them since they were kicked out of the sheriff’s house. He could sense their doubt in him. Their anger over loosing Stiles, pushing him away from the full moon ritual, only to realize that was the last moment any of them would have seen him alive. Scott wasn’t sure where he stood with the majority of them, and he wasn’t sure he really wanted to find out. 

 

He sent a quick text to Lydia and Isaac. The banshee was smart, she should be here to decipher any misgivings, and Isaac was easily the closest to Argent in the end. He would want to see his temporary father figure. 

 

While they waited for them to arrive the conversation was stilted. Chris asked about the town and its supernatural happenings and Scott asked about France but showed no interest in the older man’s responses.

 

Lydia arrived first, shortly followed by the curly haired beta. 

 

“Okay, let’s begin.” Scott said, pumping as much false confidence as he could into his voice. 

 

“Wait!” Chris cut him off. “What about Stiles? Shouldn’t your second be here?”

 

The entire room froze. Second? Was that a part of pack politics Scott failed to learn during his crash course? Why would Argent assume Stiles was his second? What would they tell him? Lydia started to cry again.

 

“Stiles…” Isaac boldly responded when it became clear his alpha would fail to do so. “Died, car accident, yesterday morning…” He appeared to be struggling with maintaining his even tone. His scrunched up forehead expressed his anger but his lowered eyes showed his sorrow at the words. 

 

Mr. Argent paled. That explained Scott’s mother’s solemn attitude. 

 

“Wow, I’m sorry. Your pack! It is extremely difficult for newly turned werewolves to deal with loosing such valuable members… How is everyone? How are you?” The hunter sounded genuinely concerned as he addressed the alpha specifically.

 

Isaac’s anger won over his inner struggle as he shouted, “Scott kicked him out! He wasn’t our second, he wasn’t even pack!” He spat the words, bitterly. “And Lydia accused him of taken advantage of Derek in his younger form, I told you about that, had us all thinking he was trying to hook up with him while he was young to guilt trip the man once he was older into a relationship!” He was shaking by the time he finished. 

 

Lydia hung her head in shame but chose not to defend herself. 

 

Chris looked between the three teens. This was clearly not the time for them to be dealing with such matters, but the Calaveras wait for no one. 

 

He hesitated before he spoke. “In… in light of the new issues, perhaps we should try and postpone your meeting?”

 

“No!” Scott said sharply, surprising everyone, even himself. “Kate’s on the loose and dangerous. I’d rather strike a deal with the hunters than have her teaming up with them. Isaac told us that they don’t really hunt werewolves, like the Argent clan, so how can we help them? Stay on their good side, and use them to restrict Kate?” 

 

“I’m not sure why Kate would trust them, but it’s probably because they don’t hunt your kind, that’s true, they have a different target, harder to come by, faster, deadlier, but far less satisfying to chase, in my opinion. They hunt vampires. Fortunately for you, the werewolf population has seem to always keep the creatures away from Beacon Hills, I doubt the Calaveras will stay for long, but it is interesting that Araya is bringing her entire family…” Chris told them ominously. “I’m curious as to why, myself…”

 

“Is it possible they could sense the demon in Stiles?” Lydia asked in a quivering voice, glancing at Scott and Isaac with wide, apologetic eyes. “It’s just they seemed to needed to regroup after they had a bit of an encounter with him, and he was so recently controlled by the… nogitsune.”

 

“Stiles was no longer the host for the chaos spirit.” The hunter said, firmly. “It was captured and is now trapped, so they shouldn’t have been able to even decipher that… But, really, vampires are their specialty, and if Stiles was a vampire he wouldn’t… An accident wouldn’t be capable of…” the older man trailed off, not needing to finish his sentence. 

 

Isaac told Chris about Derek becoming his proper age again. They all agreed it would be best if the entire pack met with the hunters together that evening, to present an united front. Chris would be there to ensure nothing goes array on either end and they agreed on a public meeting location. A small coffee shop in town. 

 

“Once again, I’m truly sorry for your loss!” The hunter said as he allowed the true alpha to show him to the door. “I really liked the kid.” He added, sincerely. 

 

“But… Allison?” Scott hesitated to say her name. 

 

Chris stiffened.

 

“She would have missed him too.” The hunter said at last. 

 

“But, don’t you… don’t you blame Stiles for her loss?” Scott asked, truly uncertain, now.

 

“Of corse not!” Chris said slightly outraged. “Why would I? Stiles didn’t choose to become possessed… he tried to stop himself, even volunteered to go to Eichen House” he added the last bit as an after thought. 

 

Scott didn’t hear any trace of a lie in the words. Allison’s dad really didn’t harbor any ill will towards his recently departed former best friend. How can he not?

 

To fill the awkward silence, the hunter continued, “Allison would have been so disappointed in me if I blamed him for the nogitsune, I hope you hadn’t thought I did…” he added, uncertain. 

 

The alpha felt his stomach plummet as he watched the hunter head back to his rental. Why was it so easy for this man to see what took him months to realize? 

 

*** 

 

Rounding up the pack was easier then Scott thought it would be. Everyone responded almost instantly. The only exception was Derek, who, as expected, didn’t answer his call. 

 

Ethan and Danny were the last to arrive and Scott didn’t miss the reluctance the human had to being dragged into his living room. Kira gave him a tight smile and everyone quickly quieted so their alpha could talk. 

 

“Thank you for coming. We have our meeting with the…” Scott began but was quickly interrupted as Ethan talked over him with folded arms. 

 

“Wrong sentence, man… Start again.” The werewolf huffed, clearly not impressed. 

 

Scott stared. “The meeting is tonight at…”

 

“No. Scott. There is something else we need to hear you say first!” Danny helped, folding his arms as well. 

 

“What do you want me to say?” Scott asked exhaustion and irritation both evident in his features. 

 

“How about that your sorry you kicked Stiles out of the pack…” Malia suggested. 

 

“Or that you were admittedly a pretty awful friend to him as of late.” Danny added. 

 

“I was kind of hoping the banshee would get yelled at, because she drove both Stiles and Derek away, weakening the pack!” Ethan blatantly accused. 

 

Lydia squawked, but didn’t protest. 

 

“I just… This doesn’t feel like pack, were so divided…” Isaac said. 

 

Kira bit her lip but remained silent. 

 

“I’m just saying,” Isaac continued. “Derek was my first alpha and he’s an alpha again…” 

 

Scott felt as if the beta had just dowsed him in ice water. He knew this was bad, but Isaac of all people was suggesting jumping ships, again. What could he do? He would probably leave the pack too, if he wasn’t the alpha…

 

“Can we do that?” Malia asked, sounding way too hopeful. 

 

Everyone looked at each other without daring to voice their opinions. 

 

“No, please don’t.” Lydia said, her voice sounded broken and unsure of itself. “We really need to appear united when meeting with the hunters… we can discuss these things later.” She finished sounding more confident.

 

Scott wanted to pipe up, to agree, to reassure them all, but he couldn’t find it within himself to do so. They were right to question him. 

 

“Where is Derek, anyways?” Kira timidly asked. 

 

“He wouldn’t answer… he probably didn’t stay at the loft, you know how he can be… probably skipped town.” Scott replied when it became apparent no one else was going to. 

 

“We need an alpha who is here…” Ethan said to the others, doubting the older werewolf as capable of providing that. 

 

“We’ll discuss it later…” Scott reminded them, with a little more merit, as he could use Derek’s disappearing act as a way to sway them back to him. 

 

Melissa came rushing down the stairs dressed for work, but her eyes were clearly still puffy and her hair not nearly as neat as usual. She almost didn’t stop to greet them, which would have been highly out of her usual nature, but her eyes locked with Kira’s round and knowing ones, and Malia’s confused ones and she had to stop and greet them. 

 

“They have you returning so quickly?” Lydia asked. 

 

Melissa’s face crumpled when she address the banshee. “Sort of. There was an issue, and they need everyone to report in…”

 

“Oh!” Isaac sighed. “Something supernatural?”

 

“I’m not sure yet, but I’ll call you, so keep your phone close.” She warned Scott. It was the first time all day her tone lacked its bite. 

 

“Mom, we’re meeting with the hunters… if I don’t pick up right away…” Scott mumbled.

 

“Hunters? Now? Really?” The nurse questioned.

 

“The ones that were working with Kate. We need them on our side…” Scott reminded her with more sureness with each word. The world didn’t stop, just because theirs did. He knew he needed to convince them to leave town or stop the were-jaguar, or both.

 

Melissa stared at her son who was still running his pack, still functioning while she had barely managed to get her shoes on. He was right, these hunters could be dangerous. She crossed the room and in one swift motion encircled her son in a hug. They both leaned into each other, clinging longer than was necessary. They were both hurting over the loss of Stiles. They needed this, to be able to rely on one another. 

 

“Please, be careful.” She told Scott as she pulled back. With a quick glance of her eyes to everyone else, she warned them to take care as well with a meaningful expression.

 

The doorbell rang. 

 

All of the shifters tensed up at the noise, but relaxed. 

 

“It’s Derek!” Isaac said recognizing the scent. “What is he doing with the sh...”

 

Both Derek and the sheriff entered and greeted Melissa. She didn’t look surprised. 

 

“Thanks for coming in, we need everyone, the security tapes have all been tampered with. Anyone who was working yesterday needs to give a statement.” 

 

The older Stilinski sounded far more brisk than usual. He was in work mode, now, that was apparent. But his eyes were black, giving away his sleepless night. 

 

Derek moved past them and seemed startled to find the rest of the pack all looking at him. 

 

“Did you come for the meeting?” Ethan asked, doubtfully, as the older man raised his eyebrows at the mention of it.

 

“Meeting with the Calaveras.” Lydia informed him.

 

Derek’s features morphed into one of alarm and anger when the strawberry blond caught his attention.

 

She held firm. “We tried to call you. We’re meeting about Kate.”

 

Derek felt the air leave his lungs at that word. He had completely forgotten. But, it didn’t matter now. He had to help the sheriff find Stiles, nothing else mattered. 

 

“Derek!” Malia barked, annoyed by his silent act. 

 

“Several…” Derek started to explain. “Several bodies went missing last night, including Stiles.” His voice cracked on his name.

 

“Stiles? Why?” Scott asked, forgetting his intimidation at seeing the older alpha in his home so suddenly. 

 

“Not sure yet.” Derek shrugged, but his tensed body belittled the nonchalant effect of the gesture. 

 

“We need…”

 

“You need to stay out of it.” The sheriff interrupted Scott’s proclamation.

 

“But…” 

 

“No. I have Derek working with me. That’s enough werewolves, as of right now it might not be anything other than human foul play.” How the sheriff was able to function at such a professional level was anyone’s guess. 

 

“Please. Stay out of it.” He didn’t say it coldly, but the message behind the words was loud and clear. He just couldn’t deal with Scott, couldn’t face him, not yet. 

 

Melissa led the older man away from the teens and Derek hesitated for just a second before he decided to join the group in the living room. 

 

“Be careful, I know Argent will be with you, but you can’t trust the hunters, especially when Kate’s involved.” Derek warned. 

 

“So you’re not coming?” Danny asked. 

 

“Back to the hospital.” The older alpha grunted. “It didn’t smell right to me… I’m just not sure what…” 

 

“Not hunter? Or Kate!?” Malia asked, alarm.

 

“No, I’ve smelt this scent before. It kind of is like dead flesh, but not as bad as a real dead body…” Derek shook his head. “It was hard to distinguish in the morgue…” 

 

“Why would they take him?” Lydia asked herself out loud, causing the attention to focus on her once more. 

 

Derek frowned. 

 

“What happened exactly?” Kira asked in a soothing tone. 

 

“Six bodies went missing. Stiles was one of them, all died yesterday, hadn’t started the processing part yet… it could be a coincidence, really, that they took him. Might not have known he was the sheriff’s son, but the entire police department is on it.” Derek took a deep, steadying breath. 

 

“Six!” Ethan said alarmed.

 

“And your going back with the sheriff, can’t make it to meet the hunters?” Isaac asked, sounding hopeful.

 

This question was punctuated by the adults waving their goodbyes. Derek nodded in agreement as he made to follow but he hesitated. 

 

“I’ll… I’ll… be at Stiles’s until we find him…” Derek added, ominously. “You can’t trust the Calaveras! Meet with them if you like, but you can’t trust them, Stiles warned us not to, …in his research.”

 

Scott sighed, even in his afterlife, Stiles was making things… interesting.

 

*** 

 

The meeting was quick and awkward. The Calaveras turned out to be a group of similarly dressed silent people. They took up the entire coffee shop and brought in plenty of stares from the patrons as everyone had on black clothing and empty weapon holsters and deadly pointed crosses. They looked like bounty hunters from a TV show. 

 

The group of supernatural teens walked in, trying to look united and confident. Chris frown at the large number of people Araya brought with her. 

 

“We want to discuss your deal with Kate.” The older Argent announced as a way of greeting. “Why are you helping her?” 

 

“We were helping your sister to gain control, she hasn’t mastered the pull of the moon, just yet.” Araya replied with a hint of accusation mingled in with her accent. “It’s not like she could turn to you with your policies. How is your wife doing, dear cousin?” She asked with a smirk. 

 

The jibe was unnecessary. Chris knew what she was referring to. The old hunter had significantly changed his beliefs since the loss of his daughter. He knew now, how cruel some of their practices were. 

 

“What was her goal, exactly, why Derek?” Chris asked, refusing to show the sting of the other woman’s words in his professional face. 

 

“She was going to use the Hale to get something from him, something that would help with with control… a trinket, really.” Araya informed them. 

 

The pack all looked quizzicality at each other, no one knew exactly what Derek would have had that could help to control shifts, but it wasn’t something he used when teaching them. Malia in particular, needed all the help she could get for her first couple of months after becoming human again. 

 

“And what is her plan now?” Chris continued, “surely she hasn’t given up, just because you agreed to meet us?”

 

“There is more than one Hale left.” The female huntress said with a smirk. 

 

Peter or Cora… Scott shifted, bringing the attention to him. 

 

“We want to stop her.” He announced. “Will you help us?” 

 

Chris looked taken aback by the interruption. 

 

“Ah. You are straight forward, young alpha…” the older woman’s smile grew wider. “Did my cousin tell you what type of demon we… specialize in?”

 

“Yes. I’ve never… met one.” Scott admitted, begrudgingly.

 

“Yes, the ones in the states tend to keep to themselves, not like in Mexico, we have a bit of a problem with the wild ones down there…” She said it with relish, as if she would want nothing more than to have a bit of a vampire problem. “So imagine my surprise when I traveled north to find that perhaps you had an issue with the undead too… Anything strange happen recently, that you can tell me about?”

 

Scott instantly thought about what Derek had told them, six dead bodies went missing. Could a vampire had taken them? Was Stiles hanging upside down in a cave somewhere having the last of his blood drained from him by some monster? Scott shivered at the thought.

 

“Tell me, wolf got your tongue?” Araya teased. “Why so quiet? Or is it that you know something… something that would help us? Maybe we can make a deal after all?”

 

Sensing a trap, Chris inserted himself back into the conversation. “What is it you want exactly?” 

 

“Well, you know what we want. Help us find the creature of the night that plagues these lands.” She easily replied. “And we will help you catch Kate.”

 

Chris glanced at Scott. It sounded reasonable. The older hunter doubted that Araya had any real proof. He had seen that before, hunters seeing tracks where their wasn’t any, getting too confident in their old age, causing a problem rather than fixing it… His father had lost his way. 

 

Scott bit his lip. “I want your word. No one from my pack gets hurt. Anything werewolf related is ran by me.” The alpha said more confidently. 

 

He glanced at the pack who all wore similarly stoney faces. Except Lydia, she was wringing her hands and unable to stay still, most unlike her usual cool demeanor, but she didn’t say anything. 

 

“Okay alpha.” Araya sneered the last word. “And I want to know about anything even remotely off, anything that could be supernatural.”

 

Scott perked up. He did have news to tell her and he opened his mouth to say so when she added…

 

“And I want to speak with the young man who hit me on the head with a bat, make sure we are squared away, you can stay with him, of course.” She added as she saw the alpha’s features morph into something resembling doubt and… pain. 

 

“He… he…” Scott stammered, loosing all sense of self he had established and looking more the boy of seventeen he was than ever before. 

 

“He passed away in a car accident, this weekend.” Chris added, helping the alpha out. “Please, understand the pack is mourning.”

 

“A mourning werewolf pack! My, my how you have changed!” Araya spoke, her thick accent making itself more noticeable with the jest. Her eyes glanced sharply to Servero who stood at her right. 

 

“Very well, we will not be able to bury the hatchet, so to speak…” Araya continued. “ The deal is Kate Argent in exchange for information…” She held out her hand.

 

Scott looked to Chris for confirmation before he shook it. 

 

The hunters made their way towards the exit when Scott called, “wait.”

 

Araya stopped in her tracks. “Yes, young alpha?” She mocked. 

 

“Some bodies went missing from the hospital’s morgue, yesterday… do you think…” he trailed off, worry growing as the older woman’s smile became larger. 

 

“I do think… thank you for telling us.” She said. “Was your friend among the missing?” She asked as casually as she could but Scott heard the uptake of her heartbeat. She was getting excited. 

 

Scott stared at her for a long second before he nodded. 

 

“Thank you, young alpha.” She bowed and promptly left. 

 

Chris turned to Scott. “What happened to Stiles?”

 

Kira hesitated before she took the lead and explained. 

 

The older Argent swallowed tightly. “Maybe, the Calaveras were right to think we have a vampire on the loose…” 

 

He nodded at Scott before he, too, exited. Everyone stood to leave as well.

 

Lydia shifted, obviously fighting internally, to make a decision. 

 

“Scott…” She started, tentatively. “I think we need to see Stiles’s research, see why Derek told us not to trust them…”

 

“I think you should stay the hell away from his house for a while!” Ethan didn’t hesitate to tell the banshee. “Haven’t you done enough damage for now?”

 

Lydia’s resolve crumbled. No one met her eyes. 

 

“It’s just that… we shouldn’t take his research lightly, he was usually right about these things…” She added in a small voice.

 

“You’re right.” Danny agreed. “We should see what Derek was talking about. But, I don’t think you should knock on his door…” he added grabbing his boyfriend’s hand.

 

“I’ll do it.” Scott resigned to his fate, he had to face his friend’s room, eventually.

 

“No.” Isaac warned. “I think you are the last person the sheriff wants to see.”

 

“I’ll do it… what am I looking for?” Malia volunteered.

 

“Anyone else?” Lydia asked, causing the were-coyote to narrow her eyes. 

 

“I guess I could go with her…” Kira suggested.

 

“We will go to see Derek together.” Scott announced. “As one pack, we will go see Derek tonight, maybe the sheriff will be asleep…”

 

Ethan and Danny shared meaningful eyes. 

 

“I don’t think…” Danny started to say.

 

“We need some space from the pack.” Ethan finished. “I need some time to… think about things.”

 

“I don’t feel right invading Stiles’s room either.” Isaac confessed. 

 

This surprised Scott, the curly hair beta had always been on his side. 

 

“I think it’s important to see what he was researching, if we are going to continue to deal with the Calaveras…” Lydia said, placing a hand on the true alpha’s shoulder in an act of solidarity.

 

Malia narrowed her eyes further. “Hemm, well we don’t need to get in the way, do we Kira?” She asked the kitsune as she gestured at Lydia’s close proximity to Kira’s obvious crush. 

 

Kira looked alarmed at the implications and frowned. She was usually so happy no matter what, the act was almost foreign looking on her face. 

 

“Lets go!” Malia added, pulling Kira towards the boys who were already leaving. 

 

The kitsune looked back at Scott who had his head down and missed her pleading eyes. 

 

Lydia tightened her grip. “They’ll come around. But we need to stay focused.” She told the true alpha. “I think we should go to the… hospital.”


	8. Chapter 8

It was eerily quiet. Stiles noticed things like that now. He was standing with the remains of the second body he drained in a forest of towering redwoods, with blood still dribbling down his chin and his eyes once again an uncontrollable solid black. He cocked his head to the side in a questioning manner as the doctor continued to plea with him.

 

“That man is empty!” Lavin tried to explain in a belittling tone. “Come with me I have more.” 

 

The nurse shifted uncomfortably next to her colleague. This new born vamp was unusually defiant and it made her increasingly worried. 

 

“You can trust him!” She said imploringly with a nod of her head for emphasis.

 

Stiles hissed and crouched lower over his latest victim. 

 

This was why the young ones were so troublesome and most sires just locked them up for fifty years. They were stronger and hard to plea with when their only goal was to secure their next feeding. But, they would typically followed direct orders from the one that granted them an after life, at least. Stiles was different.

 

The blond female vampire still listened to the doctor who took pity on her when she was cast aside by her family after showing signs of the plague. He gave her a life she could only dream about. She was grateful. But this kid… he was violent and disobedient and… calculating. 

 

They needed to keep moving. It was only a manner of time until the police caught up to them and worse, this forest was a tourist trap. Families seeking a closer relationship with nature would be filling these woods as soon as dawn broke. They needed to leave. 

 

“Should we try to reason with him?” The nurse suggested. “Explain why we can’t stay here…” 

 

“No, I’m afraid what he would do being threatened with… the living, if given the choice.” The doctor practically mouth the words he spoke so lowly hoping that Stiles’s keen ears wouldn’t understand. “He might choose to stay if we tell him people are coming.”

 

“People? The living?” The younger vampire asked. “I’m dead now…” he added the statement, looking for a confirmation. 

 

Both members of the medical community nodded. 

 

“In a manner of speaking…” Dr. Lavin added, cautiously.

 

“I… I want to see.. my mom.” Stiles whispered the words. 

 

His eye faded back to their usual brown and roundness. His sharper teeth subsided. The look of predator and protective pose he had over the elderly man broke with that simple declaration as the teen slumped heavily and would have looked vulnerable, if it wasn’t for his blood soaked chin and shirt. 

 

“Your mom?” Dr. Lavin questioned, worriedly. Should he explain that she has been dead and gone for years… did Stiles think he could see her now that he was a vampire? Or did he feel cheated? Perhaps he had always believed he would see his mother again in the afterlife and now that his soul was doomed to walk the earth for seemingly ever, he felt wronged. 

 

“How about…” the nurse faltered. 

 

A smelly corpse to feed from didn’t compare to his mother. Usually baby vamps were driven by this want. But Stiles seemed satisfied, at least at the moment.

 

“I want to speak to my mother!” He demanded, huge tears forming in his eyes. 

 

“Oh… okay.” Dr. Lavin said in a placating manner. “Just come with us and we’ll take you to see her.” He held out his hand in what he hoped was a friendly and sincere gesture. 

 

“You will?” Stiles’s voice was filled with hope and longing. “You… you can do that?”

 

“Yes.” The doctor lied. “Just… come on let’s get in the van.”

 

With great hesitation, Stiles accepted the out stretched limb and they made their way back to the plain white and obviously out of place vehicle.

 

All three wrinkled their noses at the scent that permeated the air once the doors were opened.

 

*** 

 

Scott and Lydia immediately saw that the entire hospital was turned into a giant crime scene, complete with rows and rows of yellow tape. Actual patients and visitors were being filed in through one entrance and the security check line was long. The rest of the place appeared deserted, except for the guards posted at every door, surely there to bar the public from entering. 

 

Perhaps they could appeal to one of these officers. Explain that they were their for Stiles and needed to speak with the sheriff… 

 

Lydia adopted her widest of smiles and batted her eyes as they approached. 

 

“Hi!” She called, overly jovially. “We are actually here to see the sheriff, its about… Stiles. Could we get in through here?” She asked, nicely.

 

“Nope. Sorry, ma’am. No entrance for anyone who’s not a deputy or escorted by one.” The young officer replied. He had short cropped hair and light eyes that locked on Lydia’s as he spoke.

 

“But I was Stiles’s best friend!” Scott protested. “I’m sure you’ve seen me around the station with him.” 

 

The officer raised his eyebrows. “Sorry kid, I’ve only been here about two months now, haven’t seen you once, met Stiles several times though, good guy, he was.” The man offered, genuinely. “But even so, the rules still apply, no entrance, sorry.”

 

Scott paled. He hadn’t been to the station since the explosion…

 

Lydia tried a different tact. “Well, officer…” She read his name tag. “Parrish. We have information for the sheriff could you tell me where we can wait for him out here?” She gestured to the massive parking lot covered in patrol cars, and did her best to look intimidated by the vastness of it.

 

“He is actually gathering volunteers for an extensive search party. They were tipped off that the perpetrators may be sticking to the woods.” Parrish informed the teens. “I would assume it is largely made up of his friends, as it was organized by the young man who has been following the sheriff around since this whole ordeal started… I figure he must be close to the two of them, because the sheriff claimed the guy was there for him, for support, but I’d suspect it goes both ways.” As he said this he looked even more doubtfully towards Scott. “Anyways they are organizing on the forest line just on the other side of the hospital here.” 

 

“Oh.” Scott said. “I didn’t…”

 

“I’m surprised you didn’t know, being his best friend an all, but go on, I’m sure they could use the extra set of eyes…” The deputy offered lightly as he shooed them away. 

 

“Thank you.” Lydia stated as she grabbed Scott to pull him away. 

 

“This is good. If there is a large crowd Derek will smell us and we can duck out of site of the sheriff.” The banshee continued to explain as they circled the building. 

 

They spotted the massive tent and a surprisingly large number of volunteers, easily. Scott was surprised he didn’t realize they were there to begin with. 

 

Just as easily, Derek saw them. The large werewolf abandoned his post at the sheriff’s side, who was currently addressing the crowd, to intercept them before they were able to make it all the way to the tent. The three stood out, painfully obvious, in the parking lot. Scott saw his mother glance over his way curiously before returning her attention back to Stiles’s father as he explained grid searching techniques. 

 

“What are you doing here?” Derek hissed through gritted teeth.

 

Scott looked desperately at Lydia. The older alpha’s scowl only deepened at the action.

 

The strawberry blond was otherwise occupied as she watched several new volunteers jog up to the huddled mass. They all wore various forms of black leather and each carried at least one type of weapon. But their most distinguishable feature, was the swinging cross that they all sported proudly around their necks. 

 

“Hunters… they’re here…” The banshee said quietly to herself with her forehead scrunched up. “The Calaveras…”

 

Scott followed her gaze and nodded. “Listen, Derek, they hunt… vampires. I know I didn’t believe they were real either, but…” Scott said as he misinterpreted the older alpha’s raised eyebrows. “But, they think there is at least one here… Mr. Argent agrees. I think they think it took the bodies to feed on!” He added the last part with disgust.

 

“I’m not sure about them…” Lydia said while still eyeing the strangers.

 

Derek growled.

 

“But if they can help us track them to whatever cave they have Stiles in… that’s a good thing, plus they promised to help us with Kate.” Scott added the last part for Derek’s benefit. “She needs your help with controlling the shift, said you have a charm or something…” he trailed off, expecting the werewolf to volunteer that information, but was disappointed.

 

Derek eyed the newcomers, suspiciously.

 

“They were very quick to agree to give up Kate for info on our local vampire. I doubt she’s working with them still. I think that was way to easy of a trade for them; being an entire clan of hunters they wouldn’t need our help if Kate was still in league with them, they didn’t have to make that deal. They could pose a serious threat to the pack…” The banshee surmised with pursed lips, still not taking her eyes off the darkly dressed volunteers. 

 

“I don’t trust them, either.” Derek agreed, breaking his silence. 

 

“That’s why we are here!” Scott exclaimed. “Uhh, can we see the research Stiles was doing, why he would write that…” The true alpha shuffled his feat, nervously.

 

Derek furrowed his eyebrows. “His dad doesn’t want you coming around… he’s still processing, he’s angry, we all are.”

 

“But you’ll be there at some point, right, can’t you just take it for us?” Scott asked. 

 

Lydia added, “we need to know what he knew, like you said we shouldn’t trust them, and we need to know why.”

 

Reluctantly, Derek agreed to meet the teens out side of Stiles’s bedroom window later that evening, warning Scott to use his senses to make sure the sheriff was sleeping and telling Lydia he wanted nothing to do with her after this. The banshee looked affronted by the statement but didn’t argue. 

 

When he rejoined the volunteers, he made sure to be put on the team that had most of the Calaveras. This caught the sheriff’s attention and he looked at the strangers knowingly. Scott had warned the older werewolf that Stiles was most likely some vampire’s dinner. That thought mixed unpleasantly in his gut, and he had to admit, that if these hunters knew a way to destroy the mythical creature he wouldn’t hinder them from doing so. Anything to return Stiles’s body to his father so they could all get closure. 

 

*** 

 

Stiles’s vampire sized hissy fit was one for the record books. He had drained two of the remaining three bodies back to back, despite the doctors orders for him to stop. Both corpses went flying across the van’s cab for his efforts. They needed to dispose of these, but they were no longer on schedule for equal distribution. 

 

None of this seemed to matter to the forever teen, who luckily was getting the hang of staying more in control. 

 

He split his face into a wide threatening smile that showed off his sharp teeth, but maintained his human eyes as he said, “you promised me! I want to see my mom!”

 

Doctor Lavin sighed. “Look she’s dead but not like how you died. You can’t. She doesn’t exist.” 

 

He never thought it would be this difficult. Stiles seemed to have no interest in following orders. A cellar full of bottled blood had no allure for the baby vampire. Luckily, neither did attacking the public, but it was only a matter of time until the vampire smelt a fresh source for a first time. What would he do when he heard the sensual rhythmic humming humans produce as their heart beats? 

 

His response wasn’t good enough. Stiles lost control, again, and attacked with his full strength. He rushed across the van and shoved the other man hard, this time denting the floor. 

 

The nurse, fearing where this was going pulled off into a rest stop. 

 

Stiles lowered his body on other man, pinning him in place and hissed in his face. He had all the strength and anger in the world, but aside from shoving and punching had no idea how to use it. And, this is what allowed the doctor to outsmart his opponent. He scrunched up on his left side, causing Stiles to throw all his weight into a punch there. The doctor rolled right and as Stile’s fist went through the metal flooring, exposing the gravel beneath, he was able to kick his legs out and trip the younger vampire, causing him to fall face first. Lavin pinned him in this new position.

 

“Now, kid, if you listen to me I can teach you. I can teach you how to fight, how to protect yourself, I can teach you how to live a respectable life where that would not be necessary. But, most importantly, I can teach you to avoid dangerous situations.” Stiles struggled underneath him, but the doctor continued. “You don’t want to be near a human, you might hurt them, and then you won’t forgive yourself, we all slip up and we all regret it. I need you to believe me when I tell you I’m trying to help you!”

 

That last sentence was all the ammunition the younger vampire would need to focus on his new position. He stopped struggling. For a moment both the doctor and nurse relaxed. And then Stiles promptly flipped the larger man around, effectively pinning him in turn. 

 

“Why should I trust you! You… did this to me!” He spit at the vampire beneath him. 

 

The nurse sucked in a deep breath. How was the kid able to do this? Defy the man that turned him, perhaps it was the manner of injection, since Stiles took his vampire venom in his blood bag rather than a more traditional intentional bite. 

 

“I’ll never… you took my option away from me, I’ll never see my mom again…” Stiles screamed, each word accompanied by lazy punches as the fight drained from him. 

 

“I am sorry for that.” Lavin said sincerely. 

 

“You’re going to need to learn control. You’ll get weak if you don’t feed, and I’m assuming you don’t want to become a mass killer, so please, let us help you!” The nurse added in a sweet voice. It was the most she had ever said to Stiles at one time. 

 

Perhaps the calm tone she used did the trick or maybe it was the threat of Stiles becoming a murderer, but he relaxed and backed away and crouched in the other corner, alone. The doctor exchanged a grateful look with his nurse. 

 

“We have to get rid of the bodies and get back to Napa…” She said once she felt the crisis was averted.

 

Stiles heard this but did his best to school his features. Why would he go to the valley with them? His mom… and dad were in Beacon Hills.

 

*** 

 

Derek was a quiet person. He may had been much more talkative in his youth, but somewhere along the line he lost most of the people he carried a conversation with and subsequently had very little to say. The Calaveras that accompanied him must have been just as quiet, or perhaps they were ordered to keep to themselves, as they searched silently and when they did need to point out something to one another it was said in Spanish mumbles. 

 

But, Derek knew Spanish and he knew his nose, and he knew with out a doubt that the section of the woods they were scavenging wouldn’t lead to anything. The Mexicans were aware of this as well. 

 

The alpha didn’t waste his time with the hunters, however, as he watched them and learned their weapons of choice. It didn’t pass by his nostrils unnoticed that they carried wolfsbane in addition to what he now assumed was holy water, either. And wasn’t that a revelation. Was it holy water that burnt Stiles? It felt like ages ago, but in reality that was just last week… Perhaps it was something to do with his possession. Was Lydia right? The thought irked him, and he decided to doubly focus on his hunter companions. 

 

The only one he knew by name was Severo, because of their previous interaction, and that did little to put the two of them on friendly terms. But he seemed to be leading the other three, and they all agreed they wouldn’t be finding the kid out here. And while it was no surprise that they weren’t actually looking for the bodies as they were obviously vampire hunting, it was alarming that they assumed it was just a kid as they referred to it, in their native tongue. 

 

Derek was just about ready to declare this trip a failure when his walkie talkie buzzed with the sheriff’s distressed voice. Apparently a body in hospital gowns was discovered in the National forest that was about an hour’s drive to their west. The sheriff wasn’t given much details, aside from the face that it was male and he and his team of deputies planned on heading that way. Derek volunteered to join him, but was side tracked when he heard a woman’s voice break over another radio. 

 

It was Araya. She must have been listening in to the sheriff’s call because she was ordering her men to split and take the paths that were both north and south of that particular forest’s route. Severo announced they would take the south, so Araya confirmed she would head off the north with the others. 

 

Derek told the sheriff to keep him updated as he watched his group of volunteers abandon their post and race back to their trucks. They didn’t even bother with an explanation to the werewolf, which correlated with their general behavior towards him the entire time they spent in the woods. 

 

He waited until they were far enough down the path, before he undressed and transformed into his full alpha shift form. So much had happened since he regained adulthood, he hadn’t put much thought into this new ability. Laura would be so proud. 

 

As he was now a quadruped again, he had little choice but to abandon his clothing and delicately pick up the walkie talkie with his mouth. He ran after the Calaveras with a renewed determination and a little afraid at what he might fine. Would they lead him to a vampire that held Stiles’s cold body firmly with it’s fangs? Would they meet up with Kate along the way, despite their recent promise to Scott? Would the sheriff radio in, devastated or relieved to have found Stiles or disappointed if he didn’t?

 

First things first, Derek had to catch up to the hunters.

 

They were very thorough. Derek found it difficult to keep up, chasing along them in the bushes, and if it was a race he would have surely lost to the massive trucks. However, as the hunter stopped periodically to explore tire marks or suspiciously looking bunches of debris, Derek was able to keep up. 

 

Araya called in to tell them they came across a woman; hospital gown, and completely crushed neck. It was as they feared. A young vampire. Derek was concerned but kept up his disguise. Was this the fate that awaited Stiles? All his other fears, like what the hunters would do when they discovered a werewolf was following them, seemed minuscule in comparison. 

 

Derek smelled the bodies before the Calaveras’ trucks even made it into the rest stop. He knew what lay ahead for them at this pit stop. They had followed suspicious looking tracks. It appeared someone pulled over quickly as if it was a last minute decision. 

 

He even picked up on a trace scent of what he thought was Stiles and suspected the teen was here not that long ago but the overwhelming stench of the corpses was diluting the smell. Everything was just off. Derek had half a mind to gallop off in the direction he thought the perpetrator may have gone. That way would lead to the sheriff and a known male body, it was becoming a stronger possibility that it was indeed Stiles that was spotted by a tourist. But the other direction would lead just south of Beacon Hills and if the vampire, and wasn’t that saying something that Derek was now in agreement that the creature behind the stolen bodies was in fact a vampire, was indeed heading that way, Derek might be able to intercept it on his own turf. 

 

The Calaveras’ quick Spanish tongue interrupted his dilemma. ‘Two and look at the bite mark.’ ‘That hesitation, he isn’t satisfied with feeding on the dead anymore, he’ll be looking for a living target next.’ ‘He may be young, but his sire is smart enough to throw off the police, we need to be careful, this wasn’t planned… two at once. The sire wouldn’t plan that.’

 

The conversation was enough to peak the alpha’s interest. The sun light was almost gone for the day, now, and with these two additional bodies, that meant they came across four of them, only two more missing from the morgue. What did a vampire attack look like? Derek would creep his way to the tree line in order to look at the two bodies, confirm they weren’t Stiles and then he would attempt to find the vampire behind these abductions along the southern route. He just had to get a little bit closer, to see them...

 

As soon as he laid eyes on the mangled remains, he wished he didn’t. Both bodies belonged to the elderly and they were still adoring their hospital blues. But they laid, tossed unceremoniously, among the thicket behind what was most likely a scarcely used rest stop. They clearly suffered several broken and shattered bones. If Derek didn’t know they were already dead, he would have thought the individuals died in the most horrific of manners. One thing was very clear, however, the vampire who did this, was strong. 

 

Derek had never met one before and he didn’t know how he would compare in a fight, but he was certain, after staring at the woman’s crushed skull, that it definitely wouldn’t be an easy victory. He found himself suddenly hoping that the sheriff would not come across his son in a similar state. He thought about the families that were still searching back in town, hopefully he would be able to tip off the police about this location before any of them ventured this far. 

 

Thinking of Stiles’s father reminded Derek about how long it had been since the man reported he was going to investigate the National forest. 

 

Just then, his police-grade transceiver buzzed to life again. Derek couldn’t gallop into the woods fast enough. He hoped the hunters didn’t hear. As expected it was the sheriff but in this form, Derek could hardly respond. After several attempts, the sheriff assumed Derek couldn’t hear him and was ready to give up when Derek dropped the obscenely loud device and was getting ready to transform again so he could answer it, even if that meant he would be in the buff to do so, when Severo leaned down and picked it up.

 

“We’re here, sheriff, what did you fine?” He asked in his thick accent. 

 

“Put Derek on!” The older Stilinski demanded from the other side of the radio. 

 

Severo stared down at the shaggy looking wolf. “I’m not sure he is able to… bark, little wolf!” He said with a large grin to the canine at his feet. Derek was anything except small.

 

“Excuse me?” The sheriff responded, indignantly. 

 

“Not you, come on little wolfy, bark!” The hunter ordered again, he clearly found this amusing. 

 

But Derek was worried about what the man on the other side of the radio would think, so he did, bark that is. 

 

“Ahhhh.” The sheriff seemed concerned still. He had no idea what Derek and the hunters were doing all afternoon, of course he was concerned. “Derek, if that’s you and you’re safe, bark twice.” He seemed unsure of himself and perhaps as if he was whispering into the receiver. 

 

Derek knew if he was in his human form his face would be bright red with embarrassment as he obliged and barked another two times into the walkie talkie as Severo held down the button for him. 

 

“Okay, well, I just… wanted to update you the body was from the hospital, but not Stiles. We’ll… talk more tonight. Reconvene at my house, something… attacked it, it’s unusual, to say the least, probably your area of expertise…” 

 

“I am a professional…” Severo interrupted the transmission, “it’s our area of expertise…”

 

“No, I’ll talk to our resident expert, first.” The sheriff responded before the other could finish. “Meet you at home.” He added, and he made it clear it wasn’t a request with his tone. 

 

So it wasn’t Stiles… well if the body looked anything like the two they found here, he was thankful for that. The sheriff seemed to insist on regrouping, so the alpha didn’t wait out of courtesy for the Calaveras to cooperate. He grabbed the radio and bounded off towards Beacon Hills, while being mindful of his surroundings. The hunters were heard laughing after him until they finally faded from the alpha’s earshot. 

 

He didn’t find the vampire, or Stiles.

 

*** 

 

He did come face to face with an impatient and early Scott and Lydia. He had half a mind to surprise attack them as he was sure he would be more powerful in this form than the true alpha, especially if he was caught unaware. 

 

Derek didn’t however, he simply gave them a disappointed look as he shifted and nakedly allowed himself into Stiles’s room. He returned a minute later wearing clothing that was too tight and carrying a stack of research papers. 

 

“Here.” He grumbled. “Now leave!”

 

“The sheriff isn’t even home yet!” Scott protested the attitude. 

 

“I’m only trying to help.” Lydia defended herself. “Any luck with Stiles?”

 

Scott perked up, eagerly.

 

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten what you’ve said to him the night he died.” Derek said through gritted teeth to the banshee. 

 

She blushed and focused her attention on the pile of papers he gave her but didn’t retort.

 

“Did you find him?” Scott asked again, annoyed.

 

“No.” Derek said and turned to leave without excusing himself. 

 

“My mom mentioned a body…” The true alpha sounded disheartened. “I was hoping…”

 

“No.” Derek repeated. “There were actually four, but they haven’t all been reported yet.”

 

“Oh.” Lydia couldn’t stop herself from saying. She turned to Scott, “this is more than enough to go through, our school doesn’t even offer this subject! Let’s go…. Thanks, Derek…”

 

The older alpha only shook his head. Lydia didn’t really even properly apologize for her accusations, yet. 

 

Scott remained hesitant. “Was it a vampire, do you think? What did the hunters say?” 

 

Derek nodded before glancing at the patrol car coming down the street, pointedly. 

 

“I want to help!” Scott pleaded. 

 

“You should go, Scott…” Derek sighed. 

 

“But…”

 

“Come on, lets go.” Lydia said as the sheriff exited his car and gazed at them all angrily. “They need time…” 

 

Derek couldn’t help but think it would take more than that.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slower updates, sometimes this stuff just writes itself and other times it's like pulling teeth to get a useable paragraph, I feel comfortable promising at least once a week updates, but I'm just not sure about more that that...
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for all the comments and kudos! You are the best!

The longer Stiles sat in the foul smelling van, the more he thought about how to escape. The issue was, Dr. Lavin looked at him knowingly. They had abandoned the bodies at the rest stop, which went against their initial plan. Stiles knew it was his fault. That he was making things difficult, but he also didn’t care.

 

He didn’t ask for this.

 

He looked at the corpse on the other side of the tight space with disgust. He had purposely sat as far away from it as it was possible to be. It smelled terrible; the blood was old, decaying, and held zero appeal. It’s not like either of his vampire companions had fed at all during this entire kidnapping… dead body napping? If they didn’t have to eat, then neither did he, despite what they told him. 

 

He was sick of people manipulating him. He was tired of being used. Stiles wanted to go home. And this time, rather than catering to those around him, he was going to do as he wanted. He was more than just a tool for these vampires to command. He was more than just a researcher for a pack of ungrateful werewolves. And, it was well past time he acted that way. 

 

These vampires, …his sire, they thought he was mindless and would soon succumb to the need to feed. They thought he would blindly follow their orders. Well, they were surely mistaken. He wanted absolutely nothing to do with that geriatric blood bag in the corner... 

 

As if he was reading his thoughts, the doctor asked if he was hungry, asked if he wanted the last of their hastily gathered meals. 

 

Stiles accidentally hissed in response. Oops. 

 

Doctor Lavin looked at him curiously. 

 

“It smells.” Stiles pouted. They wanted to turn a teenager, Stiles would give them a teenager. 

 

“We are heading back to my cellars, but it is a couple of hours drive and you are looking more and more… fidgety. We don’t want you attacking another vehicle on the highway, are you sure you don’t want it, to tie yourself over for the trip?” The older man asked again. 

 

Stiles ignored the question completely, but he was suddenly really curious about why these two vampires never acted, well… like a vampire? He was constantly wavering… he felt his vision darken occasionally and now associated that as his own weird shift. 

It was strange. He had accepted that he had an altered form now, just like Scott. He knew he craved blood without being told. He’d even seen a hastily drawn picture of his… kin, in the bestiary. But he hadn’t seen himself, he didn’t really know what he looked like anymore. But his companions looked normal, just the same as always and they didn’t seem to be overcome with a need to feed on the dead.

 

Stiles had to ask. 

 

“I will teach you everything, all in due time!” The physician laughed. “It takes practice. Years of practice, but the need dulls itself out, just give yourself some time, in a century or so you’ll understand…” 

 

“Cent… century!?” Stiles covered the distance that separated him from the other man with that one word.

 

He held the doctor up, easily lifting him from the ground and pinning him to the steal enforced aluminum siding. The action cause the nurse to swerve the van.

 

“Stiles!” She raised her voice. “Not again!”

 

Stiles turned his blacked out eyes on the woman in the front seat and saw a familiar sign announcing that they were now driving along the preserve. His father would be just on the other side of that forest….

 

The newly turned vampire didn’t hesitate as his mind was already made up. Stiles threw the doctor towards the barrier that separated the nurse from them and opened the barred doors with more strength than necessary. The van stuttered to a halt. He didn’t look back at the people shouting for him to stop. He ran, he ran so quickly. 

 

In mere minutes, Stiles was deeper into the Hale protected woods than he had ever been before. He strained his ears, he couldn’t hear anyone following him. He couldn’t hear the sounds of the road, at all. He heard animals, fleeing. No doubt terrified by the being that sped by them so quickly…

 

It was fairly quiet, animal sounds aside, and that silence grounded him. He was going to find his dad. Stiles’s vision returned to normal and he walked in the direction he thought the town lay. 

 

*** 

 

Doctor Lavin and his nurse had every intention of continuing their search for Stiles. He had even let the kid get a bit further away than intended because he recognized the disobedience for what it was. His new vamp was scared and unsure. He needed time to process. He did understand that. But he also knew that there were things he would have to learn from his sire, and that Stiles needed him, even if he didn’t know that himself. 

 

The nurse was annoyed. Now they were leaving the remaining body and the van on the side of the road just outside the town they started in. It would be found by authorities soon enough and they would all have to leave before they found anything else…

 

They weren’t even out of ear shot when they heard another vehicle approach their abandoned van. Several boot clad individuals exited in quick succession. The nurse grabbed the doctor’s arm to stop him. She tilted her head. They counted the individual beats. There were four. 

 

“Last one. And untouched. Our newborn has moved on, it’s looking for living prey, now.” A thickly accented voice said to the others. 

 

“And the sire?” Another one asked. “Wouldn’t have allowed this, if he was still here, right?”

 

“Perhaps they gave up, this one was unruly, look at the state of the van…” 

 

“They wouldn’t have let the new one go unchecked if they still had power over it, perhaps it was their first turn…”

 

“You still think it’s the kid, then?”

 

“Araya is positive, he was being groomed, even if he and his pack of wolves didn’t know it.”

 

“Interesting choice…” 

 

Lavin stared at his colleague with large eyes. Hunters! All the way up here, they had their suspicions, but they were already on their trail. This was out of his wheelhouse. The nurse nodded knowingly. 

 

“I think we should distract them. Send them the wrong way…” she whispered.

 

The doctor nodded. They retraced their steps to the scene of the crime and saw all four darkly dressed men examining their get away van. The crosses they wore threateningly, didn’t go unnoticed either. They silently circled around the trees and allowed them selves to make more noise then necessary once they were on the southern side of the vehicle. 

 

“You hear that?”

 

“You two, go investigate!” One ordered. 

 

The nurse trotted off a little further ahead and shifted so she could let out a proper hiss of protest. 

 

The doctor went in a slightly different direction and did the same. 

 

They would have to get these men properly lost before they could do anything else for Stiles. But, worse yet, it seemed like there were more hunters where they came from… How many did that silly pack of wolves attract? 

 

*** 

 

The sheriff didn’t wait outside for an explanation. Looking at Scott hurt worse than any of them could ever imagine and for reasons most wouldn’t understand. Scott was his son’s best friend. He had watched them eat dirt together in the sandbox, he had picked them up from school countless times, he helped them build a volcano for a science project, he taught them how to play baseball, for most of their lives, the two were glued at the hip. And while that may not have been true as of late, the sheriff couldn’t help but see the glaring absence of his son when ever he looked at the other boy. 

 

Scott, who not only wasn’t there for Stiles while his son was facing a terminal illness, which seemed so distant now, but also was there with him moments before the car fatally killed his son. Scott was apart of the reason his son was leaving the woods at that time of night… He didn’t want to blame anyone. He knew from dealing with the loss of his wife that these things wasn’t anyone’s fault. But he couldn’t help but worry he might say something he’d regret in the presence of his son’s best friend. Or former best friend. 

 

It hurt to think that way. 

 

Derek came inside wearing some of his son’s larger clothing items, and looking thoroughly ridiculous in them. The sheriff wasn’t sure if he should laugh or cry. 

 

“The victim…” Derek opened his mouth to ask, but was cut off when the sheriff started to show him some photos from his work laptop. 

 

This body was worse than the ones he saw in some ways. His wrist was crushed, and there were several bite marks, as if the vampire couldn’t fine the best location to suck it dry. But the face was still recognizable and that would be a comfort for his grieving family.

 

“Give it to me straight.” The sheriff demanded. “What creature did this? What is going to happen to my son?” 

 

Derek swallowed. “Vam… vampire.” He choked out.

 

The sheriff sighed, heavily . “They eat the dead?” He asked and then added more to himself, “Stiles. Still wrapped up in all this fairytale nonsense…” 

 

Derek explained about the other two bodies and told the sheriff that the hunters found a third one to their north. He immediately called in patrols to go find them. It would be impossible to keep this from the news. They were already following the story of the missing bodies…

 

The two discussed possible reasonings behind the vampire activity in Beacon Hills and Derek cautioned the sheriff on trusting the hunters explicitly, but the older Stilinski was adamant about finding and rescuing his son from this thing. The issue was neither of them really knew where to begin. Derek very hesitantly mentioned Lydia’s name. The sheriff frowned.

 

“I don’t know what my son saw in her…” He said with a shake of his head. 

 

“She… she wanted his research on the hunters, they know about the possible vampire, and I pretty much confirmed it for them just now.” Derek powered on. “I hate to say it, because honestly I want nothing to do with the McCall pack, but I think we can use their help…”

 

The sheriff looked ready to protest, but restrained himself. Tentatively he nodded and said, “okay, but not here… I can’t… not yet…” 

 

Derek understood. He didn’t have a phone of his own but he knew Stiles’s was still sitting on the charger, unused, upstairs. After he retrieved it, and sent a quick text to the pack’s group message, telling them to meet at the loft in an hour. The last message in that folder was over a month ago, it was from Stiles and no one responded. Derek almost crushed the device in his anger. 

 

Before he left the Stilinskis’, however, the sheriff had one more bit of information to share with the werewolf. 

 

“Derek, your car was spotted by the way. It was pinged yesterday coming through the southern boarder, but boarder patrol failed to act quickly enough to restrain the driver. They are sending video footage, though, once it’s available.” The sheriff added. 

 

Derek hadn’t thought much about his car. Last time he saw it he was in it, on his way to pick up his uncle. He didn’t really remember much after that, because he woke up two weeks later once Scott clawed him out of a wall in Mexico… He wasn’t entirely sure Peter did have anything to do with that. The thought was unnerving. But, Derek had other concerns.

 

The sheriff held a new bottle of whiskey in a brown paper bag guiltily.

 

Derek glanced at the object and then back up at the sheriff questioningly. Did the man purposely show his faults so Derek would intervene? The alpha wasn’t sure what he should do… What would Stiles have wanted him to do?

 

“Sheriff…” Derek said slowly. 

 

“I know… I know, I’m sorry…” The older man said with tears forming in his eyes again. 

 

He swallowed before passing the alpha the bottle. 

 

“I’m going to call Melissa… I don’t think either of you should be alone, right now…” Derek said with searching eyes, wondering if he was overstepping in any way. 

 

The sheriff nodded.

 

Melissa answered almost instantly. Her heart was beating so fast and loudly, Derek could hear it through the phone line.

 

“Yes…” The nurse said breathlessly in to the receiver.

 

“Melissa, it’s me…” 

 

Derek didn’t get a chance to finish as Melissa shouted over him. “Derek! Derek! Do you know whose phone you are using? Do you know what went racing through my mind when I saw that name on my caller ID?” She screamed. “In this world where my son is a werewolf… I had thought that maybe… damn you Derek!” 

 

Derek quickly apologized and asked if she could come over, to which the nurse agreed instantly.

 

As Derek apologized again and left the two parents to mourn in their own way, he thought about what that would look like to the pack, seeing Stiles had called a meeting at the loft…

 

*** 

 

Isaac, Malia, and Kira were already waiting for him, when Derek arrived. He showered and by the time he was finished, Ethan and Danny had joined the others. They all looked… beaten. Malia paced nervously. Kira was clearly recently crying. Ethan had clenched fist and Danny was giving him a shoulder rub while absentmindedly staring off into space, thinking hard about something. Isaac sat in his usual spot with his arms folded. 

 

“No Scott? Lydia?” Derek asked in lieu of a more traditional greeting. 

 

“I almost didn’t come…” Isaac admitted. “Stiles… a message from Stiles telling us to meet here… I was worried you were playing a cruel joke on us…” He held his scarf in his hand, squeezing it tightly in anger. 

 

“He hasn’t been included in pack texts for awhile, at first you were missing and Scott wanted to keep it from him, so we made a new group text without him, we kind of all have been using that one...” Kira mumbled. 

 

“Why are we here, Derek?” Malia asked stopping mid stride. “I get it, we messed up, he tried… probably too hard to help me… adjust, and I’ve barely talked to him lately, I don’t know, my stomach kind of hurts…” She looked up with large pleading eyes at the alpha. 

 

“You feel bad for being a crap friend!” Ethan supplied for the confused were-coyote. “We all do… is this a pack meeting?” He asked as he turned to Derek. “Can you call meetings now?”

 

Danny looked up curiously.

 

Before Derek could respond all the wolves craned their heads towards the door. Scott and Lydia were going to show, after all. 

 

The strawberry blond came in with her laptop designer bag on one shoulder and a heavy looking book under her other arm. That was nothing compared to Scott who carried a stack from the library taller than he was, as he peered cautiously around it. 

 

“Sorry we’re late.” Lydia said briskly. “You interrupted my reading, but I figured I could continue it here.” She made herself at home at the coffee table and pointedly refused to acknowledge everyone who was staring at her. 

 

Derek raised an eyebrow. 

 

Scott couldn’t keep his eyes off Kira, but the kitsune refused to look up. 

 

The tension was thick in the air. Derek sighed.

 

“I’m not your alpha and this isn’t an official pack meeting.” Derek started, gathering everyone’s attention, even Lydia’s. “I’m also sorry I used Stiles’s phone…” He felt a new wave a guilt from everyone, but none more so than Scott, who was unusually pale. “I need your help, Stiles needs your help…”

 

No one interrupted so Derek explained about the bodies that had been found, sparing nothing, as he went into gruesome detail. He told them that the Calaveras were certain that the culprit was a young vampire. Lydia gasped but motioned for Derek to continue. There wasn’t much more for the renewed alpha to say after that aside from admitting he had no clue how to stop it, and that Stiles was one of two remaining victims. 

 

The pack agreed that they had to stop that from happening to their neglected friend. But no one really knew where to start. Everyone looked at Lydia. 

 

“What?” She questioned.

 

“Well, what is all that?” Malia pointed to the daunting pile of books. 

 

“If we’re going to save him, were going to need you to translate the bestiary again…” Isaac pointed out. 

 

“Already did.” Lydia admitted. “Here, these are my notes, and this is what Stiles had on the vampires, although his research was focused more on the hunters… Still not sure why he didn’t trust them.” She added to Derek. 

 

He only frowned in response.

 

“They hunt vampires, come from Mexico, where there is a lot of newly turned vampires… they seem to go for cattle and wildlife, probably the cause of the chupacabra rumors… but other than that I don’t have much on them. Araya has been the clan leader for over thirty years, she’s a bit renown among the hunting communities.” She continued to check off her fingers. 

 

Danny leaned forward trying to steal a glance at the notes. “Mind if I…” He asked Ethan, with a gentle squeeze of his hand. 

 

Ethan nodded. “Yeah, what can we do to help?” He added as he joined his boyfriend on the floor. 

 

Kira silently followed with out glancing in Scott’s direction. 

 

“We need a plan.” Isaac said to Derek. 

 

“I know.” Derek admitted. “Stiles made the plans…”

 

Scott whimpered, earning him several glares. 

 

“Let’s figure out how to stop a vampire, and go from there…” Danny suggested from his place next to Lydia. “We can figure out this whole pack business later!”

 

“Pack business?” Derek questioned, looking uncomfortable.

 

“Some of us are having issues with our leadership.” Ethan gave Scott a pointed glare at those words.

 

Lydia slammed her book shut. “He’s a true alpha! Most werewolves would kill to have him as an pack leader!” She defended. 

 

“He’s also seventeen!” Malia pointed out.

 

“Yeah and too arrogant to know a good thing when it’s staring him in the face!” Kira mumbled.

 

Scott, who was still off to the corner crossed the room and knelt down into her eyesight. “I know I messed up, with Stiles… I did, I’m sorry and I get that, but why are you avoiding me?”

 

Kira didn’t respond but she did flash her eyes towards Lydia before turning away. 

 

“I’m not involved with Scott!” Lydia announced to the room at large. “I don’t even know why you would think that… I haven’t been with anyone since Aiden!”

 

Ethan flinched.

 

“Enough.” Derek announced with a growl. “I’m not trying to start my own pack with any of you, you can figure this all out later, right now we need to know how to stop the vampire and get its food source back before the sheriff has to find his son in pieces!” 

 

The room stilled for a minute before everyone went back to helping the banshee search. 

 

Scott turned to Derek. “I think we should ask the hunters for help… at least Chris!” He added when the older alpha’s face morphed into one full of doubt. “For… for Stiles…”

 

Derek nodded.

 

*** 

 

Stiles moved through the forest with an ease he wasn’t capable of while living. He practiced listening to things as he walked, too. It was different now. He had normal hearing, he wasn’t sure of the range, but it didn’t sound too different. But, he had a second sense operating underneath that. He heard the pounding of all of the animals’ hearts. It was forming a rhythm and sometimes that beating overtook his actual sound. When that happened he noticed his vision would darken too. 

 

This he associated with his shifting, although he still wasn’t sure what that looked like. He felt his eyebrows and was relieved to see that he still had them. He moved a finger over his teeth and noticed the sharper peaks, but lack of canine fang. He figured vampires would have fangs though, so this was surprising. How did he make future living dead offspring? Did vampires have alphas like werewolves? He had so much to look up when he finally was reunited with his computer. 

 

Before he realized where he was going, he found himself standing in his backyard. That was much faster than it should have been, and he was trying to walk at a human’s speed, so he would have to keep practicing that one, if he had any hopes of blending in. Without much thought for who was inside, Stiles jumped up to his bedroom window’s ledge as he had watched the werewolves do, several times. He missed. But in his speed he doubled his efforts and landed on the ledge on his second try. His room looked messier than he remembered. 

 

Which was saying something because he was a vampire now, had been missing for at least two days, and so far it would seem all anyone did was shift the stuff around on his desk. His father most likely. He was probably really worried, how would Stiles explain this one to the older man without giving him a heart attack. Did he find his Jeep on the side of the road, he wondered, knowing that prior to waking up in the van with his doctor, that was where he was at. 

 

Stiles caught a glimpse of his blood soaked appearance in the cracked mirror young Derek had left him with. He looked haggard. Dirty and white… so much paler than he had ever been, even in the middle of winter, when the sun hadn’t touched his skin in months. His hair was a mess and coated in the dried crimson substance too. He grabbed his red jacket from the back of his desk chair and froze.

 

Stiles heard it, just then his father sobbing accompanied by two steady beats, his vision hazed over. The thrumming sounded so much louder than those of the animals. The two hearts were in sync with one another and it made his mouth water. Subconsciously he moved closer to the door. He just had to see it the pulse points that jumped to that rhythm. It was glorious… it would taste amazing… he opened the door and the smell, much sweeter than that of the rotten corpses he was previously fed, became overwhelming. He just needed a taste…

 

“Listen, John, Stiles wouldn’t want you doing this to yourself, crying over leftover lasagna… just take a bite. You need to keep your strength up.” It was Melissa’s soothing voice that broke the spell that overcame him and Stiles froze on the landing. 

 

He had to get out of there, he had to leave before he did something he couldn’t take back. He turned faster than lightning and scrambled back into his room, surely making too much noise than was wise. For something to keep his hands occupied, he grabbed for the closest item. His aluminum bat. It creaked under his grip, but it was enough, and he fled from the room with all of his attention on the bent bat. Where could he go? What place would guarantee he wouldn’t hurt anyone? 

 

He made his way to the Hale lot.

 

*** 

Melissa couldn’t help but feel useless as she watched one of the strongest men she knew break down over a plate of left over lasagna. What was her friend to do? She couldn’t imagine loosing her son and certainly thought of Stiles as one of her own and still wasn’t fully able to comprehend the loss. She tried to coax him into eating something but felt like a traitor as she had permanently lost her appetite as well.

 

Thump.

 

A noise from upstairs interrupted her. Someone was up there. The sheriff looked curiously at his guest before signaling for her to stay quiet as he retrieved his firearm. He signed for her to stay out of the way, but she out right refused as she trailed behind him as they took the stairs one step at a time. 

 

Stiles bedroom door was open. She wasn’t sure that was where the sound had come from or not but the older Stilinski seemed concerned as he peered inside and noticed the open window. They checked the rest of the rooms in silence before the sheriff finally spoke. 

 

In a broken voice he said, “Derek’s been coming over… you know them, never using the front door, but he did say he was going to the loft to meet the others…” 

 

“Maybe they needed something?” Melissa suggested, optimistically. 

 

“Yeah, maybe.” The sheriff reluctantly agreed as he tried to spot what was out of place in his son’s room. 

 

The problem was, everything was out of place, he’d have to talk to Derek about restoring it, because he wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but it didn’t feel right to move Stiles’s belongings, not yet, maybe not ever…

 

His radio buzzed. It was a couple of deputies checking in. They had found the bodies Derek had reported, anonymously. Melissa had just suggested they head back to the kitchen, when his radio went off again. His men spotted a suspicious looking set of vehicles. An unmarked utility van and a large black pickup pulled over on the side of the road. They appeared to be abandoned. 

 

It buzzed for a third time, telling the sheriff that the van held one of the two remaining bodies. In the half second it took for his deputy to confirm that it wasn’t his son, the older Stilinski fell to his knees as he held his breath. 

 

Melissa dropped next to him in concern, and couldn’t help but check the man’s vitals, as she was a nurse. 

 

“One more thing, sir.” The radio came to life yet again. “The body, seems to be intact, relatively undamaged when compared to the others.” 

 

The sheriff took several deep breaths before he responded, informing his men he would be on his way, shortly. 

 

Melissa looked ready to protest, but bit her tongue. The sun had set since she initially came over, it was getting late and she knew the man next to her was already operating on his reserves. He must of sensed her hesitation, however because he pulled out his phone stared at it for a long moment, before he clicked on his son’s name.

 

“De… Derek.” The sheriff forced his voice into steadiness. “Meet me off I28, just west of the city entrance, yeah other side of the preserve. They found another, not Stiles, no. And a van, and a truck. Yeah. See you there.” 

 

Melissa nodded as the sheriff hung up. 

 

“Good luck.” She said genuinely. 

 

He couldn’t even manage a fake smile in response.

 

*** 

 

It was dark by the time the sheriff and Derek made it out to the latest crime scene lit up by several sets of flashing lights, but that didn’t prevent the alpha from confirming that the truck belonged to some of the latest group of hunters. The van also had Stiles’s scent, still off, but also definitely present. It was without a doubt the vehicle used to transport the recently departed and that was apparent to all, human and otherwise. 

 

The police had already identified a set of tracks that led into the woods and in addition to the sheriff and his unbeknownst werewolf consultant, the deputies called in the canine unit for tracking. They already had two sets of officers heading off into the woods. 

 

The sheriff liked to play as by the book as possible and didn’t hesitate when he announced that the truck belonged to some of the volunteers who headed this way. He suggested that they may have had a confrontation with the perpetrator, or simply felt they should play the part of a vigilante and follow the tracks, too. Everyone was on high alert. 

 

Derek had suggested checking in with the pack, who had plans on contacting Argent, once he had a private moment with the sheriff. The older Stilinski was a busy man out in the field and he wasn’t given much time to consult with his seemingly unqualified guest. He still wasn’t sure about involving everyone, but the situations was brought out of his hand when another pick up came speeding down the streets. 

 

Araya stepped out of the driver side with a purpose. She eyed Derek knowingly. 

 

“Sheriff.” She called with authority. “A word if you please.”

 

Reluctantly, the sheriff left a deputy, Parrish, to follow through on the canine unit check in. Derek didn’t hesitate to accompany him across the caution tape line to address the leader of the Calaveras. 

 

“I’m assuming you know who I am?” The older woman said while squaring her shoulders.

 

“Yes.” The sheriff replied easily. “I believe you owe me a window.”

 

Araya smirked. “We can settle up when this is over. You have a real issue and it’s just shy of invading your town… Where we come from, the local law knows to let us handle… things of this nature. We’re better equipped.” 

 

“Yes. Well, this is my town and I do have my own experts in the field for the strange and unexplainable.” The sheriff replied cooly, referring to the alpha standing beside him. 

 

“Ah yes, I see you’re all grown up… pity, for my dear cousin, but have you ever dealt with this type of nuisance? They’re fast… and the young ones are out of control. All of those precious officers out there are at risk.” Araya looked the sheriff directly in the eye. “Haven’t you had to bury enough of your deputies this year?” She flicked an accusing eye towards Derek for good measure. 

 

The sheriff swallowed thickly. It was true, since this whole supernatural upheaval, it has been one loss after another both in and out of the department. This town was rocked enough as it was. Derek shifted uncomfortably, he couldn’t really deny it. 

 

“Look.” Araya continued. “I just want permission to do what we do best… my men are already out there, and they’ve failed to check in. I’m sure it has to do with avoiding your officers. I think it would be wise if you just called off the dogs…” She didn’t hide the look of joy she had at using that phrase in her present company. 

 

“No.” The older Stilinski didn’t hesitate. “The unreal factor aside my men and I still have a job to do. I can’t bend the law or our procedures for anyone.” He sounded firm. 

 

Araya opened her mouth to argue back, but faltered as two more sets of unwarranted headlights approached. 

 

Chris, Isaac, Scott, and Lydia got out of the first car. The rest of the pack were just behind them. Chris didn’t seemed phased by the crime scene but almost everyone else did. The only exception was Lydia who had a blank look on her face. 

 

She glanced around the woods as if she was seeing something that wasn’t there until her eyes landed on the old hunter leader. She took a deep breath and screamed.


	10. Chapter 10

Look.” Araya continued. “I just want permission to do what we do best… my men are already out there, and they’ve failed to check in. I’m sure it has to do with avoiding your officers. I think it would be wise if you just called off the dogs…” She didn’t hide the look of joy she had at using that phrase in her present company. 

 

“No.” The older Stilinski didn’t hesitate. “The unreal factor aside my men and I still have a job to do. I can’t bend the law or our procedures for anyone.” He sounded firm. 

 

Araya opened her mouth to argue back, but faltered as two more sets of unwarranted headlights approached. 

 

Chris, Isaac, Scott, and Lydia got out of the first car. The rest of the pack were just behind them. Chris didn’t seemed phased by the crime scene but almost everyone else did. The only exception was Lydia who had a blank look on her face. 

 

She glanced around the woods as if she was seeing something that wasn’t there until her eyes landed on the old hunter leader. She took a deep breath and screamed. 

 

Araya’s eyes grew wide as she watched the banshee drain her breath and fall to her knees before her. The leader of the Calavera clan didn’t need to be told the significance of that action. She immediately grabbed the radio on her hip and started spouting off in Spanish. The company present didn’t need to understand the language to know that she was demanding for her missing men to report in. 

 

All the officers that weren’t currently busy with their own task stared unashamedly. The less enthusiastic pack members looked at Lydia with a renewed concern, but it was Scott that knelt down next to her, trying to pry from the banshee who it was that she had seen. 

 

“The forest!” The strawberry blond had said on a exhale. “It’s… it’s not safe.” She looked up at the older Stilinski who appeared to still be recovering himself from witnessing the supernatural scream. 

 

Chris seemed to be fighting the instinct to order Araya or the sheriff into action. He moved into a stance of readiness and peered into the tree line as far as his human eyes would allow in the dark. 

 

Parrish came across the crime scene tape with a concerned look for Lydia on the ground and eyeing the unusually large crowd with apprehension. 

 

“Family members of the latest victim?” He asked. Indicating the body bag that was loaded up on the ambulance awaiting the sheriff’s verification to be sent back on its way to the morgue. 

 

This caused everyone to momentarily falter and look at the unaware officer. 

 

Derek grunted an affirmative when it seemed like no one else would. 

 

“I remember you two, friends of Stiles, right?” The deputy continued as he grew closer. “And family of the older gentlemen, I’m truly sorry, this has been especially difficult for their loved ones…” He glanced at his boss before looking back at the teen on the ground.

 

No one bothered agreeing that time, leading to an awkward pause in which Chris instinctively moved closer to the thicker woods. 

 

Parrish cleared his throat. “Errr. Right, well, sheriff the canine unit didn’t report in. No answer. We’re concerned there may be issues with the radio.”

 

This time everyone looked to the sheriff, who could only nod as he absorbed the information in conjunction with Araya’s ominous threat to his men only moments prior to the banshee’s scream. 

 

Instantly both hunters present moved to explain why they should be allowed to search the woods for the missing people. Araya argued that she had four men, including her nephew, who had fail to report in. Without permission, she radio for backup and ordered four more men to pursue the threat from the other side of town. The sheriff did not look pleased.

 

He motioned for the deputies present to join him and they quickly split into two teams; one would stay put and the other would go after the unresponsive canine unit. The pack didn’t even wait to be asked as they all lined up next to the confused officers who looked at the teens like they were crazy. 

 

The sheriff glanced at Derek and Scott and Chris, clearly uncertain.

 

“You’ll need us.” Derek assured in a low voice. 

 

The sheriff nodded and signaled for everyone to fan out. Derek led the pack on the right, Scott didn’t protest his position behind the newer alpha. Araya reluctantly trailed after the overly noisy group.

 

It didn’t take long for Derek to determine that the trail doubled back and was in fact heading towards Beacon Hills rather than further away as he originally suspected. They were actually getting closer to his family home, or the plot that remained after it was torn down by the city. He felt increasingly uneasy, and wasn’t sure if the nerves were related to the direction they were heading or if he was sensing something catastrophic pending.

After twenty minutes or so of walking in the dark with little more then bushes rustling occasionally and still no response from the radio calls, they came across their first sign that something was amiss. Derek saw it first, a blood soaked boot. He assumed his eyes were unintentionally alpha red as he scanned the rest of the forest for the owner of that detached foot with no luck.

 

“Stop!” He halted the group. The officers looked wearily at the sheriff who had taken an order from a civilian that shouldn’t even be with them. They followed their leader’s example, however.

 

“What is it?” He asked but that was all the time Araya needed to move past the young pack and see the blood trail herself. She avoided stepping in the substance and had to hold back a scream as she saw the severed foot. That didn’t stop the rest of the werewolves from getting vocal over the fine. 

 

“What is that?”

“Oh my… God!”

“Who’s is that?”

“Where is the rest of the body?”

“Did… did a vampire do this?” 

 

That last remark had several people telling Scott to shush. And earned the true alpha a few looks of incredulity from the officers present. The sheriff did not look please, as he moved to join the lead huntress. 

 

She confirmed that it belonged to one of her men, but wouldn’t comment on the creature involved. It looked like a ragged hack job, much different then the vampire victims he had seen earlier where the bone was more likely to be crushed than severed. It was decision time. If he allowed his men to continue they may witness something they can’t unsee. 

 

“You sure it’s one of yours?” He whispered to the upset hunter. 

 

She nodded and held up her own pair of matching boots. 

 

“Okay. I’m going to call off my men, but I stay. We do this together.” He muttered. 

 

“That is the first wise thing you’ve said since I’ve arrived here.” Araya told him, looking grim. “You should call off the wolves too.”

 

The sheriff looked back at Derek, who he knew was listening in on the private conversation. The alpha shook his head. 

 

“They stay.” The older Stilinski replied firmly. 

 

The deputies were not pleased to be asked to leave. 

 

“You can’t go alone!” Parrish boldly protested. 

 

The sheriff eyed the man, sizing him up. “Okay you and I will go. The rest of you are to return to the crime scene and await further instructions. Get that body back to the hospital. When we come across the canine unit I’ll be sending them back there as well. Please be prepared to treat injuries.”

 

“What about these kids?” Another officer eyed Lydia who still looked week after her latest scream. 

 

“They stay with me.” Chris said quickly indicating his side arm. To everyone’s surprise, the sheriff promptly agreed. 

 

Chris was now close enough to see the boot and the obvious trail they would be following. Once the officers had left the clearing he and everyone else turned to the sheriff who had a hand clasped on his young deputy’s shoulder. 

 

“Parrish, have you ever seen something you just couldn’t explain?” He asked.

 

“In this town, all too often.” He pointed to the boot which the sheriff couldn’t even make out in the dim lighting at this distance. He was impressed.

 

“I think you may find some answers this evening, but it’s not something you can come back from.” The sheriff continued, grimly. 

 

“I think I’m ready. I need to know what did that?” The deputy insisted. 

 

“Okay.” The sheriff nodded and turned to the huntress, waiting for her explanation.

 

“It was the vampire wasn’t it?” Scott asked. “It has Stiles! We need to…”

 

“That attack looks more wolfish to me.” Chris spoke over the true alpha, to the entire group. 

 

“It was ferocious, sure, but we don’t eat them.” Derek protested. 

 

The use of ‘we’ wasn’t lost on the clueless officer. 

 

“So it’s not a vampire, then?” Malia asked, sounding hopeful. 

 

“No. You definitely have a new born vampire on the loose.” Araya told them all in an authoritative voice. 

 

“And, we’re going to stop it!” Scott said with determination, allowing his eyes to bleed into their deep red. 

 

The huntress nodded as she stepped over her subordinate’s limb. “Yes. We are.” She agreed and tightened her hand on her cross necklace. 

 

Chris readied his weapon as he moved to follow her. The wolfsbane bullets were apparent to all the shifters. Taking her lead from the experienced hunter, Kira took off her belt and formed her sword with one swift motion. Derek partially shifted revealing his claws. Ethan and Isaac followed suit. Malia’s eyes glowed their icy, unnatural, blue. Danny and Lydia subconsciously centered themselves as the group continued deeper into the forest. 

 

This left a flabbergasted Parrish staring at the sheriff with his mouth open. 

 

“It gets worse.” The older Stilinski told him as they made up the rear of the search party. 

 

Derek heard the commotion before the others but Scott was the first werewolf to vocalize his realization as he pointed the group towards the deeper woods that was sure to lead them to the canine unit’s howls of distress. The growling and barking became apparent to everyone else soon after. However, before they broke into the clearing, the mismatched group found the mangled remains of the Calavera hunter.

 

There was no hope of him somehow surviving his horrific injury they had seen earlier as his body laid at an impossible angle with deep claw marks gouging out his chest. The man’s eyes were opened and stared blankly upwards at the expansive sky above, unblinkingly. His face, or what was left of it, showed an expression of pure terror.

 

If this bothered Araya, she didn’t show it as she catalogued the numerous injuries with her swift eye and motioned for them to continue on towards the sounds of the dogs whimpering. 

 

The clearing was large and had plenty of moonlight illuminating the scene. The officers huddle together on one in; all showing small cuts or bruises, but nothing in comparison to the previous man. The crushed radio laid forgotten off to one of their sides and two of the other three hunters were standing slightly taller on the other. Their dogs were all off leash and barking and shaking in turns as the bush directly across from them shook vigorously.

 

None of the cowering men registered the new arrivals as the pack, hunters, and police officers all made their way into the opening. Araya cleared her throat pointedly. 

 

“What Happen?” She asked in her native tongue, sharply. Her men failed to respond as they stared at the bush opposite of them, expectantly. “Where is Severo?”

 

Slowly one of her men pointed at the bush. It’s branches rustled again, causing the dogs to start their barking. 

 

The sheriff ordered Parish to lead the officers back to the crime scene on the side of the road for medical attention. Reluctantly, the young deputy agreed. Isaac, Ethan, Danny, and Lydia all followed at Scott’s request to accompany them without much protest. The alpha could sense the danger looming, and couldn’t risk his human members, even if they were unsure of their pack status. To everyone’s relief the tracking dogs followed behind their masters willingly, bringing about an eerie quietness in the clearing. 

 

Araya repeated herself, this time in English. 

 

A body came flying from the trees above, landing at the clan leader’s feet. This one was killed in a more obvious fashion as the throat had appeared to be torn open. The man was clearly Hispanic and could easily be labeled a hunter by his outfit. But, he also wasn’t Severo. This guy was older and thinner than the missing Mexican.

 

“Antonio!” Araya hissed as her eyes bulged while taking in the corpse. “How?” She looked at her remaining subordinates, both of whom shook their heads while wearing matching faces of confusion. 

 

“How!” Araya demanded in a louder voice. 

 

Derek sniffed the air. He recognized that scent. It may be tinged with the copper tang of blood, but he would never misplace the smell of family.

 

Peter Hale, dressed in his designer jeans and immaculate white shirt, despite the nature setting, stepped out from behind the rustling bushes while brushing his hands together in a fashion that suggested he had just completed a cumbersome task. He held a single eyebrow raised in a manner that was only befitting of his family name. 

 

His smile was both sincere and threatening as he slowly moved forward. “Didn’t expect to see me so soon?” He asked the group at large, but it was Araya who shifted uncomfortably at the question. “Nephew. The company you keep?” Peter asked Derek with an amused shake of his head before he glared accusingly at the older woman. “Had a plan, I suppose, a goal in mine, why else would you chain me to that fence wall for so long?” As he spoke his eyes narrowed. “It was smart of you, to employee an Argent, or former Argent to improve your hunting skills when dealing with my… breed.” He turned his attention to Chris while continuing his stride. “I suppose your family cast out their less human members… seen your dear sister lately? She’s very… feisty...” 

 

Chris raised his pistol in lieu of a response. 

 

“Matriarch,” Peter continued, unfazed. “You should have known that one hunter would never hold me for long, despite all your voltage… to pull all of your active members up here… so unwise. Tony, here, really didn’t stand a chance…”

 

“And the other hunter?” The sheriff boldly drew attention to himself as he interrupted Peter’s monologue. “That was you too?”

 

The no-longer-missing werewolf chuckled. 

 

“No, no… I’m not the only predator in the woods this evening…” He said ominously. “In fact, the preserve is crawling with them…”

 

“How did you get out?” Araya asked, confirming Derek’s uncle’s previous statement. He had in fact been held captive in Mexico all this time. 

 

“Well, you see, you may have separated my nephew from me to appease your accomplice, but she returned, told good old Tony that she needed me; that you had backed out of your agreement.” Peter was happy to inform the huntress of her errors in judgment. “Your sister didn’t look too good…” He added with a mocked concerned nod to Chris. “Rather sweaty, alone, family-less… pack-less… although, I suppose for her you could say shadow-less.” The werewolf chuckled at his own joke as the bushes behind him rustled again, sending a chill up Scott’s neck.

 

“What killed the other hunter?” The sheriff asked in a tone that suggested he was all business and wasn’t faded by this man’s airy nonchalance. 

 

Peter smirked. “Are you sure you want to know about all of the monsters that lurk in these woods?”

 

“Uncle Peter.” Derek responded before the older Stilinski could, with a flash of his red eyes. “If your crime took place in Mexico… the sheriff just needs to know about the murder that happened hear…”

 

He was assuming, and by the looks on both Chris’s and Stiles’s father’s face he had over stepped. But that was his missing uncle… seemingly who spent over a month on the other end of one of the Argent’s chain linked electric fences…

 

The bush rattled again and this time something purple shot out from it. She was blood covered and earthy with twigs sticking out of her blond hair, and she was holding a dying man. Kate’s eyes danced from newcomer to newcomer without recognition. She growled furiously down at the trembling man that was her latest play thing. Severo didn’t give her the satisfaction of a proper response, but he couldn’t refrain his body from shaking slightly, possibly due to blood loss as he had a decent sized gash in the right side of his abdomen.

 

Araya, who definitely favored that particular nephew of hers, gasped. 

 

That was the wrong move. Kate tossed the hunter she held with clawed hands aside and stared at her new prey. The formerly intelligent and conniving woman looked completely crazed as her emerald eyes glazed over with want. Chris could almost hear his feral sister’s thoughts as her mouth began to water. 

 

She didn’t wait to act and crossed the clearing’s space faster than any werewolf could, shocking everyone. Derek blocked the sheriff from the wild were-jaguar’s sight, on instinct. While Scott strategically placed himself between the latest threat and the girls. Kira subconsciously reached for his arm and Malia peered around the true alpha annoyed by the obstruction of her view. 

 

Kate’s claws dug deep into the older woman’s arms, causing new rivulets of blood to trail along the wild creature and onto the forest floor.

Peter clapped appreciatively from his secured location across the path. “I never would have thought there was an Argent I enjoyed, but ever since she lost herself completely to the moon’s pull this omega has been quite a pleasure.”

 

At his words, the mad shifter arched her neck back revealing her sharp fangs in the moonlight. She was going for a killing blow. Only Chris held his weapon up, able to prevent his sister from taking another life, but the shocked hunter hesitated. 

 

A second blur came silently and swiftly from the trees behind everyone and a was only noticeable because it was accompanied by a resounding crack. This figure was red and white. The new creature was obviously human-ish in size and stature but stood with it’s back to the crowd. While holding something thin and silvery high above it. 

 

Everyone’s attention was on the two motionless figures that laid at the latest predator’s feet. That was when Derek realized what was off. In front of him were three beings, but only two heartbeats. The smell was wrong too, yet incredibly familiar. The jacket was all right, however. That red coat and aluminum bat went together perfectly; it was Stiles’s. But, how?

 

“I suppose I don’t mind seeing the huntress and the former huntress both on the ground.” Peter said in a tone that suggested this was all too exhausting for him. Kate had a dangerous amount of red pooling around her cracked open skull. Even with her healing abilities she would be down for several minutes. 

 

Stiles, with his back still facing everyone stared at the crimson line dripping down his bat. Derek noticed the teen’s nostrils flare as the object held his attention.

 

“It’s the vampire!” Scott announced dumbly. 

 

As if the confirmation was needed the hoodie wearing figure licked the trail of blood from his bat, enthusiastically. 

 

“Where’s Stiles?” The true alpha continued in a false bravado. Still unaware.

 

Derek could have face palmed.

 

“Uhhhh.” Malia said from Scott’s right, confused. 

 

Kira tightened her grip on his arm. 

 

The figure glanced back at his former best friend with black eyes and a paler the normal face.

 

“Stiles…” The sheriff said in barely a whisper.

 

His son’s reaction was to reveal his newly sharpened teeth as he gazed longingly at the source of the liquid he had just sampled. The young vampire leaned down to feed swiftly at the same time Araya sprung back to life. She uncorked her hip flask of holy water in one hand and grasped her sharpened cross with the other breaking the clasp that held it so the item could be a more effective weapon. The older hunter tossed the water expertly in Stiles’s unexpected direction. 

 

She missed. 

 

The younger vampire was no longer standing where he once was. Two more blurs appeared as if from no where. One moved the teen out of the way effectively, while the other attacked Araya’s arm causing the water to be thrown off course. 

 

She yelled and cursed in Spanish which was met with three sets of hissing. 

 

Although Stiles’s seemed to be aimed more towards the large, older man who held him tightly. 

 

“Dr. Lavin?” The sheriff breathed out, shocked. 

 

“Calm down.” The man ordered of the boy he gripped firmly as Stiles thrashed about.

 

“He won’t be able to handle the humans being so close.” The nurse replied from where she stood now, a good couple of yards from Araya who held her arm at an angle that suggested the smaller woman had broken it. 

 

As if to prove everyone wrong, Stiles straighten himself up and stopped struggling. He forced his eyes to fade back to normal and he peered around the man that held him, at his father. 

 

Then he noticed the rhythm of his dad’s pulse point and couldn’t focus on anything else as his eyes bled into their darkness once more. Surprisingly, everything became clearer in the night’s surroundings when his eyes faded over. He assumed it must be this new body’s version of night vision. 

 

“Stiles!” Derek called for his attention. It worked for a fraction of a second as the teens eyes became honey colored again. They stared at each other in confusion, hope, and longing.

 

And then Severo attacked. He must had risen from the ground when no one was looking. The hunter broke his vile of the toxic water at Stiles’s feet; soaking Kate in the harmless liquid and effectively splashing the newborn vampire who didn’t react as quickly as his sire to move out of the way. 

 

Stiles hiss turned into a scream of agony. He twisted and glared at the group at large in confusion. His now black eyes locked on Derek’s once more. And then he bolted. He was gone in a blur of red that even the doctor couldn’t keep up with. 

 

“Stiles!” Derek called, pointlessly.

 

The dead teen was gone.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So Jluis asked for more. I agree, the last chapter was missing something... Stiles?!
> 
> So here is a little more from Stiles and Peter's POV.

Stiles couldn’t believe his ears. He ran off into the forest to get away from people. And yet there were so many beating human hearts coming closer and closer to him. He tried to move on, to leave the thrumming behind. But something kept him rooted in the shadows. An underlying desire…

 

He saw her. Kate Argent kept on a leash and tethered to none other than Peter Hale?! The sight was amusing. He saw the human and unprepared policemen accompanied by their tracking dogs, all of whom would bark madly in Stiles’s direction every time he stepped on a fallen branch. He saw men, men he knew were hunters. He watched as they separated into teams of two in an attempt to surround him. And, even though he didn’t see them, he knew his sire and his nurse still lurked in the forest, hot on his trail.

 

As if the thought alone was able to make the experienced vampires appear, Stiles found himself unexpectedly surrounded. 

 

“Stiles!” Dr. Lavin whispered. “Come with us. They have hunters, we need to go. Now.” The older man placed a firm hand on the teen’s upper arm. 

 

Stiles was quick to protest with a hiss as he pulled free and continued his superhuman sprint in the thicker undergrowth of the forest. He wasn’t going with the people that did this to him! He couldn’t even go near his father without his mouth watering… Resisting the too easy to target deputies handling the canine unit was difficult enough as it was, and that was all Doctor Lavin’s fault. 

 

The nurse fought the urge to suggest they leave their newly turned charge behind as she watch the younger and speedier vampire flee again. She doubted he was worth the trouble of continuing this pursuit, but her boss looked both, determined and worried, as his eyes trailed after the teen. She couldn’t let him down.

 

*** 

 

The scent of so much fresh blood was impossible to ignore. Stiles was drawn to the fallen hunter as Kate continued to savagely tear into him. 

 

This was all apart of Severo’s plan. Well not initially, but once the feral were-jaguar and enrage werewolf impeded their path and attacked without warning, he knew this could become his best bet at attracting the young vampire. All he needed to do was survive. 

 

Stiles pounced down on the other side of Kate’s victim, shocking everyone except the experience vampire hunter. 

Peter would have thought it was impossible to sneak up on a werewolf. He was pretty sure he had boasted that fact in the past, but that was prior to his first interaction with a vampire. He knew of their meager existence, heard the rumors of the wild ones in the south, was told of the noble old European families, but he had never met one, until now. 

 

A scarlet flash dropped from the tree tops without so much as a thud. The human was thin, slightly shorter than himself, but taller than Kate. It held a beat up baseball bat loosely in one hand and cocked its head slowly while staring unblinkingly with fully blacked out eyes at the dead hunter that Kate held protectively away from the intruder. He was incredibly pail… and dotted with moles. 

 

His hair may be longer than Peter remembered, his baggy shirt may have been covered in days old dried blood that looked out of place on the teenager, but the werewolf recognized the teen that fell silently from the sky. 

 

It wasn’t one that he was aware could achieve such quietness. 

 

“Stiles?” Peter asked aloud, despite seeing the truth of the matter before him. What happen to the loyal kid? If any pack member was good at being human, it was this one… How did his nephew’s pack allow for this to happen? Then again, Peter wasn’t sure what exactly happened to his nephew after Kate took the unconscious man from the Calaveras’ stronghold three days after they were captured. 

 

Stiles glanced in the older werewolf’s direction and gave the slightest inkling of a smile. Kate took that opportunity to grab the ankle of her victim and pull him away from her latest competition. Stiles was faster, however grabbing the dead man in a flash, and holding firmly with a strength that didn’t quite match his smaller stature. 

 

Kate roared, dominantly. Stiles just flicked his eyes at the were-jaguar, giving little indication that she had affected his hold on the hunter at all. 

 

Severo took this as his opportunity to act. He gripped his cross necklace tightly and pounced at the unsuspecting vampire’s back. At the same time Stiles pulled harder against the were-jaguar’s hold. In her fit of anger, Kate clawed the man’s foot clean off from the rest of the body. The renewed copper scent was enough to pull of Stiles’s attention and as the momentum from winning his tug of war sent him flaying backwards and just out of Severo’s wooden spear tip. 

 

The hunter was quicker to recover from his stumble than Stiles was, however, and was ready for his second attempt at impeding the undead creature. 

 

Peter couldn’t allow for that to happen and he stepped in, sinking his clawed right hand into the hunter’s side. 

 

“Go!” Peter ordered Stiles, who looked back in his human colored eyes with confusion. “Go, now.”

 

He didn’t need to be told that second time, as Stiles scrambled back on to his feet. He picked up his fallen bat with one hand clung desperately to the majority of the dead Calavera’s body and ran. 

 

Several clearings over, Stiles slowed and reflected on how close of a call that was for him. He didn’t even know what would happen if the hunter had staked him, but he could only assume it wouldn’t be good. He took in his appearance and the dead man he clung to and allowed himself to freak out for a moment. 

 

He dropped the hunter as voices were approaching and reclaimed his place among the shadows. 

 

*** 

 

Stiles watched as his father, friends, and even adult Derek discovered the remains moments later. He held his breath and discovered that he no longer needed to breathe. He was sure he made some noise as he backed further away, but thankfully the tracking dogs were also causing a ruckus. 

 

Stiles watched them hesitantly examine the remains, allowing the hunters, especially the female one to take the lead. Was everyone working together, now? Were they looking for him? Why was Derek still in town, surely he would have left as soon as he became an adult again, as Scott said he was planning? 

 

Stiles didn’t let himself dwell too much on his former life. But now, being faced with all of their glorious heart beats, he stared unashamedly. His father looked sickly with dark circles under his eyes. When was the last time he slept? Stiles’s stomach clenched at the thought. Scott was there too. Looking as eager as always. It was nice to think that his former best friend was out looking for him, if that’s what they were all doing? It explained the search dogs…

 

But it was Derek who Stiles wondered about the most. Even though it was only a couple of months since the Nogitsune incident, which was the last time Stiles had seen the man in his well, man-form, it seemed much longer. The guilt that spurred over his father’s appearance tripled when he realized he was ogling the adult werewolf. Was Scott right? Did Stiles inadvertently befriend teenage Derek because he had a crush on his older form? At the time it wasn’t his goal, but maybe subconsciously? His guilt bubble popped it became so full and pooled into dread in his gut. 

 

And he was here, now… Adult Derek was still in Beacon Hills… what did that mean?

 

As the group moved on, Stiles trailed them, focusing more on his curiosity than his growing need to feed and the wondrous scent of living, pumping, blood. 

 

He watched the confrontation in the clearing. A large part of him wanted to interrupt Peter’s speech. Even more so he wanted to guard his father, but he noticed the protective way Derek stepped in front of the human. It left him with more to think about. 

 

He also notice that no one was going to intervene and save the Calavera hunter when Kate moved to attack. Stiles used his topmost speed to prevent the woman’s death, striking with his bat as it was still there in his hand. 

 

Being so close to Kate’s blood was overwhelming. He couldn’t help it as he succumbed to the need and licked the aluminum clean. 

 

He didn’t even sense the danger he was in until it was too late, but thankfully, or not, Doctor Lavin saved him. The man was surely going to demand he go with him again… His nurse all but started to suggest it.

 

Stiles wanted to prove himself capable. He focused on his father’s face rather than the man’s pulse point. He felt his vision recede to normal. His dad looked so worried… he was doing that to him again…

 

He blinked and as his eyes opened, all they saw was the thumping just under the skin on his father’s neck. His vision darkened once more. 

 

“Stiles!” Derek called for his attention. It worked for a fraction of a second as the teens eyes became honey colored. They stared at each other in confusion, hope, and longing.

 

Then Severo attacked and Stiles panicked. He fled. Where could he go if even the woods weren’t safe? He wanted his father… but really wanted his mother too. 

 

It was late at night, maybe the graveyard would be abandoned…


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge apology for the delay in this chapter. It was difficult to get these words from head to paper, and I'm not really 100% satisfied. Good news! We have 1chapter to go and then a hell of a long epilogue that will cover quite a big time frame! So any questions or concerns that you want address, like where the hell is Deaton? Let me know in the comments! Next update will be after the Olympics! Sorry in advance for the wait.

The tang of blood, old and fresh, was all Stiles could think about. And now he associated that scent with his father, his friends, … Derek. He needed to put as much distance between himself and those people, living people (of which he is not), as possible. Maybe he should go with Dr. Lavin? 

 

No. That man stole him from his mom… and from his dad. 

 

Bang. Bang. Bang.

 

Three gun shots were clear and recognizable even from his distance. If he had to hazard a guess, he’d say it was his father’s handgun based on the sound, but it had been a while since he went to the range with his dad. Without thought Stiles turned back. Was his father in trouble? He hissed around his sharp teeth at the thought. 

 

He didn’t make it very far when the newly born vampire stopped suddenly. 

 

There were sounds; twigs snapping, just ahead of him, and unless he accidentally circled back quicker than he was capable, the crowd he just left behind, couldn’t be coming from this direction, not yet. Maybe it was just a deer? But, it hadn’t escaped Stiles how the majority of the wild life in the forest avoided him, and this creature was getting closer, slowly. He strained his ears and heard the distinct thud of a human heart. Four of them, actually. It would seem unlikely for them to be day hikers at this time of night. Stiles schooled his features back into something mimicking a living human and crept closer. 

 

Four men, dressed in all black, worked together with hand gestures to silently scour as much of the ground as possible. Calaveras, four hunters, presumably looking for him, or Kate, or Peter, or even the other two vampires lurking in the woods this evening. Truly, they hit the supernatural hunting jackpot. 

 

The men stilled and so did Stiles. He watched them narrow their eyes in his direction. He was sure he wasn’t making any noise, but maybe that was the problem, the forest was eerily quiet on his side!

 

Stiles used his speed to back track and allowed himself to make some noise as he did so, hoping that would throw them off rather than draw them nearer. 

 

He found himself face to face with the cemetery’s fence before he really knew where he was going. His father and his discharged weapon? What could Stiles do to help him now? He was terrified as it was, that he might eat the older man, and what a tragedy that would be! Should he return to the forest clearing? Will Derek help his dad? Or, Scott? Hopefully…

 

He couldn’t do anything to help. Not like he was now… with his vision darkening at the thought of messing up.

 

Stiles used his pulse checker to ensure there wasn’t anyone left in the creepy place in front of him, before circling around and allowing himself in. He made his way to his mother’s grave following the familiar root he had memorized years ago. Her stone wasn’t the largest or the prettiest but it always had fresh flowers. Something he, himself, and his father had vowed to do, even it if it was unspoken. The current flowers were white lilies and they almost glowed in the moonlight as a homing beacon to the young vampire. He curled up next to them and wondered how long he could get away with staying here before the public would arrive in the morning. 

 

He needed a way to ensure he could control himself, but aside from going with the ancient doctor, he wasn’t really sure how he would ever learn such a thing. Stiles needed to check on his dad without hurting him… He needed help, but who could he trust? What was he supposed to do?

 

*** 

 

Derek was no longer in control of his own body as he found himself moving to follow the young vampire. It was the strange… doctor(?), that stopped him. He remembered the man from the hospital. This guy! He is the one that killed Stiles! Derek attacked. 

 

His claws were fully extended as he swiped, but the older man twisted away just in time and moved again as his knew position put him closer to the hunters. The hunters who were dealing with an angry Peter.

 

The older werewolf attempted an attack. It would have been an easy one, too, as Araya, who knelt next to her nephew, who was having difficulty breathing despite his most recent attempt to hinder Stiles, was definitely distracted. She called for Chris’s assistants, but he was pinning his sister down while holding a needle to her neck. His hand was shaking as he hesitated.

 

It was Scot that stepped in front of Derek’s uncle; ordering the beta to halt. Peter wasn’t one to bend easily, but the alpha in Scott’s voice was enough to cause the older werewolf to whimper and stutter to a stop. Scott was unsure of himself and he whipped around frantically until his eyes met Derek’s. 

 

Derek didn’t know what his face looked like, probably determination, but whatever Scott needed, he got from the nod he sent the true alpha’s way. Derek didn’t mean it as a thanks for stopping his uncle nor was he encouraging the younger alpha to continue to interfere. He simply had one goal, to find Stiles, and his nod was a reassurance that he would do so. 

 

Bang. Bang. Bang.

 

Three shots rang into the forest air, stilling everyone. 

 

“My son!” The Sheriff’s voice boomed over all the commotion. “What did you do to my son!?”

 

The question was directed at the doctor who glanced quickly to his nurse. She disappeared in the time it took for Derek to blink. Just how fast were they? But, at least someone was going after Stiles. 

 

Dr. Lavin held up his hands, placatingly. “I will answer all of your questions, I will, but first we have to stop your son from making it back to town.”

 

“Why?” The sheriff growled out. It was impressive for a human. 

 

“He is a member of a community…” The Doctor started to explain in a dignified tone but was interrupted by Araya.

 

“He’s a vampire, a newly born one, a menace, and he can and will kill tonight, if you let him get away.” She warned the sheriff from her crouched position next to her nephew. Neither one looked ready or capable of pursuing the baby vamp. 

 

“He has shown remarkable restraint…” the doctor attempted to explain but was interrupted again, this time by Scott. 

 

“So he’s not dead?” The true alpha asked with a wide grin. 

 

“Chris!” Araya called. “You can’t allow him to live…”

 

The Argent was still holding his sister. He barely acknowledged the huntress. 

 

“No one is going to harm him!” Derek boomed over the group without realizing he was interrupting.

 

“We can teach him, help him, …let me take him home with me, I have a cellar in a few years he will be ready and capable, and of course you can visit…” Dr. Lavin said to the sheriff who only grew redder with each sentence. 

 

“Did you… did you kill my son?” He finally managed to ask in a whisper. 

 

The few humans in the grassy area heard every word loud and clear, however, as every head turned to the doctor expectedly. Even Peter, who froze in mid pursuit of the Calaveras again.

 

Dr. Lavin sighed, looking every bit his old age. “He was going to die, I assured that when he did it wouldn’t be for long. His blood bags, the transfusion he received back in the hospital in the morning after his accident, they contained my… venom.” 

 

As he finished, the older man’s features shifted into something resembling a stereotypical cartoon vampire. His teeth became pointed, sharp and deadly, his cheekbones more angular, and even his eyes flash dark for just a minute before they returned to their usual deep brown. He looked younger, somehow, but also deadlier. The biggest difference, however, between Stiles’s shift and this vampire was the thin and sharp canine teeth extending down past his bottom lip. They looked like needles and reminded Derek of a poisonous snake. 

 

The doctor already held everyone’s attention. He didn’t need the dramatics, but he held up a dark finger to the tip of one of his fangs. Pulling away Derek immediately noticed the lack of blood, but further more, he saw the clear liquid dripping down the already healed pinprick. 

 

“Vampire venom.” Dr. Lavin announced. “I had already been giving it to Stiles in small dosages, but once he was in that critical car accident, I couldn’t let him die, not just then, not a human death.”

 

The sheriff couldn’t form words but he made a choking sound as he tried to digest what the doctor had told them. Derek was speechless himself. If it wasn’t for this guy, Stiles would be dead, but Stiles is struggling because he is a vampire which was caused by this man…

 

“We have a bigger issue.” Dr. Lavin said, once it became clear no one else was going to question his reasoning. “He is dangerous to your town, and they,” he spit the word when he pointed to the hunters, “are a danger to him.”

 

“Stiles?” Scott questioned, unnecessarily. 

 

“They are a danger to us all.” Peter yelled. His eyes bulged slightly as he advanced towards the old huntress and her nephew with his claws out. 

 

“Stop.” The sheriff demanded. “You kill them here, I will arrest you.”

 

Peter merely shrugged. 

 

“Uncle.” Derek said lowly but he didn’t have to raise his voice for the werewolf to hear him. “We need to get to Stiles first.” 

 

Peter rolled his neck and huffed annoyed. 

 

“You’re technically dead, and a burn victim. It would be difficult to explain at the station.” The sheriff continued. He looked grim, and Derek knew he was thinking about how they would explain Stiles being alive too. 

 

“I already have my men looking for the boy…” Araya called out. “He won’t escape.”

 

It was difficult to determine who growled louder, Peter or Derek. Malia showed her teeth too. And the sheriff moved his hand back to his weapon.

 

“What about Kate?” Scott asked. 

 

Chris was unusually quiet and now everyone looked at the two Argents. He cradled his lethal sister in his arms, she was still unconscious an way too innocent looking. An empty syringe laid at his feet. 

 

“I’m going to take her back to France. She needed to learn control, needs an anchor.” Chris announced, he shot Derek a pointed look. 

 

The hunter couldn’t possibly think his sister’s actions were in anyway his fault? 

 

“Ah, the Hale trinket?” Araya asked. “She never did get it despite being so sure young Derek would go to his vault for her willingly…”

 

Peter scoffed. “The triskelion? That’s why you guys ambushed us in Mexico? Separated us?”

 

Derek was pretty confused about the events that led up to him being found fifteen and wrapped up in the wolfsbane blanket in the wall in Mexico. He heard the concern in Peter’s voice and knew that his uncle was worried about him all this time and that he had some explaining to do once they were given the proper time to do so. 

 

“That’s Kate Argent?” The sheriff questioned as he looked at the purple and spotted shifter. “I have a warrant out for her arrest.” He said this in a tone that suggested she would not be leaving the country. 

 

“I would recommend you concern yourself with your own family members, Sheriff.” Chris said warningly. “I’d hate for you to have to arrest your son for similar charges…”

 

“The young ones are stronger!” Araya said, ominously. “Faster… deadlier…. Unpredictable. He will kill again soon.”

 

“He’s smart!” Dr. Lavin interrupted. “He’s naturally fighting the urge to shift and he hasn’t killed anyone… yet. It usually takes years for a vampire to learn control, but I do suspect that he will be extraordinary in that as well. Perhaps having a basic understanding of the supernatural world has given him an advantage.”

 

“Where is my son?” The sheriff asked weakly as he listen to people argue about him again. 

 

“My colleague is following him.” The doctor assured. 

 

“My men will find him first and end this nightmare.” Araya argued. 

 

Derek whimpered, involuntarily. He needed to stop the hunters. 

 

“Call them off.” The sheriff demanded. 

 

“No. Two of my men are already dead.” The Calavera leader protested.

 

“She did that!” Peter pointed an accusing finger at the two Argents. “Your cousin! And I killed your little guard, Antonio, in Mexico!”

 

“Distant cousin.” Araya mumbled. “We’re here for all of the vampires, but especially the young one.” 

 

“You touch my son and it will be the end of your hunting days. You will all spend the rest of your lives in jail.” The sheriff threatened angrily.

 

“On what charge?” The old huntress smiled as she challenged back. “Your son is already dead.”

 

The older Stilinski faltered. 

 

“Let me just snap their necks…” Peter suggested as he moved forward to do so. 

 

This time the sheriff didn’t protest, but Kira did. “Stop.” The kitsune demanded. “We need to find Stiles! Scott call to the others.” 

 

Scott howled and gave her a thankful look. The sheriff fumbled with his radio before he contacted Parrish. Peter gave the bubbly girl an interesting look of disapproval before he continued towards the hunters but he was distracted by his nephews’s actions.

 

Derek didn’t wait for further instructions. He started to undress, feeling the burn of some of the other’s eyes on his naked torso before he shifted in to his black wolf form. 

 

Peter clapped, slowly. “Bravo… alpha again, and achieved your full shift, perhaps I should go MIA more often…”

 

Derek barked signaling his disagreement and took off at a run. Stiles’s scent was too scares to trail properly but he had the general direction. Peter hesitated before he decided to follow. They could deal with the hunters after. 

 

Derek was faster, but left an obvious trail for his uncle to shadow. They doubled back to the old Hale plot which now had the black Camaro parked out front. From there the two made their way back into town and picked up a fresher Stiles scent to follow that took them along the edge of the preserve. 

 

It was the blond nurse who stopped them. She cut across Derek’s path causing the large wolf to buck backwards and skid to a halt. Peter was just behind him and stopped more dignifiedly. Dr. Lavin joined them just after holding Derek’s clothes in one hand and a radio in the other. 

 

“He has four hunters sitting on him.” The nurse said to the new arrival. Neither werewolf knew the doctor was following them. It was unsettling, their lack of a heartbeat. “At the cemetery.” She continued. 

 

The older man thanked her before pressing a button on the sheriff’s radio, and calling for the others to join them there. 

 

Derek had already shifted back to his adult form. “Lets go.” He told his uncle in lieu of thanking the doctor who had brought his clothes and backup. 

 

The four broke out from the tree line against the backside of the graveyard. The hunter’s heartbeats were noticeable, now, and so was the unusual Stiles scent that was quickly becoming familiar to Derek from his trek through the woods. 

 

They didn’t need words to communicate that each one would take a hunter to ensure the Calaveras didn’t harm Stiles further. Just then, Scott howled a second time. This one promised that he was coming for his friend, but it also proved to be the perfect distraction as the four supernatural creatures split into separate directions to each disarm a hunter. 

 

Derek grabbed his forcefully by the neck from behind. The poor man didn’t know what hit him, but did manage to plunge the tip of his necklace into the alpha’s exposed side. Unfortunately for the hunter the wooden stake did nothing against the werewolf, it was an overgrown splinter, really. And the man was quickly disarmed and shoved head first into the ground. 

 

A crack to Derek’s left told him that his uncle most likely broke his target’s neck and two more thuds indicated that the vampires had managed to knock their opponents out one way or another, as well. 

 

Then he heard it; muffled and soft, but still definitely a sob. Someone was crying.

 

Stiles.

 

Derek didn’t wait for the others. He hopped the fence to find the source of the sound. Stiles looked more like a kid then ever, caved in on himself in such a tight ball, that he wasn’t actually visible over the headstone. His mother’s grave marker. The crying was definitely muffled as if he didn’t want to let it out, but couldn’t help it and Derek was sure he heard Stiles apologize to his mom. 

 

He immediately stopped in his tracks as this was clearly one of those moments he shouldn’t interrupt. After all, this had been an incredible painful few days, but it was surely unbearable for the teen. 

 

Stiles stilled his unnecessary breaths and looked up at Derek. His round, honey colored eyes flicked to complete blackness, just once, before returning; full and shiny in the moon’s light. His disheveled appearance reminded Derek what was really happening and as much as he wanted to back away and give Stiles this moment, he forced himself to continue to move forward, moving a hand up cautiously.

 

***

 

Stiles flinched at the sight of the hand but he kept himself rooted to the ground. As if guessing where his mind had went, Derek called out for him not to flee. That was easier said then done as all Stiles could hear was the thumping of Derek’s heart. The rhythm was almost musical and soothing. But it wasn’t the only heart beat. Three more were just beyond the fence line. 

 

“Stiles.” Derek said at last, causing the newborn vampire to flick his eyes and attention at the werewolf in front of him. “I… I’m so happy your alive!” 

 

The grin Derek wore on his face was more reminiscent of the teenage version than the adult form Stiles had remembered, and as warming as the sight was, it also scent a wave of dread over the teenager, because he wasn’t alive, not anymore, not really. Something must had reflected on his face because Derek quickly backtracked his statement. 

 

“It’s just, we thought… I thought you were dead, I saw you… in the hospital, your dad!” Derek fumbled with an explanation as he finally reached his destination and knelt down next to a very shaky Stiles. 

 

“My d’… dad.” The teen’s voice broke on the word. “I can’t…” As if to emphasize what he can’t do, Stiles eyes glazed over for just a second before returning, but his sharp teeth remained. 

 

“You just need to control it, you need an anchor…” Derek said soothingly, looking Stiles directly in his eyes and watching him melt fully back to human.

 

The young vampire couldn’t help but relax a bit at the reassuring tone in which Derek spoke. He was an adult again and he seemed to know what he was talking about, and as a born werewolf, he probably did. Stiles was sure he couldn’t hurt him, even if he did want to, and for the first time in a long, long time, he didn’t feel so alone. He felt the relief flood through him, and chose to hang on to that feeling, using it to keep Derek’s heartbeat at bay. 

 

“He’s right about anchors.” Dr. Lavin said casually as he dumped three people down on the ground. The heartbeats he heard, three of the hunters, one was still missing. Two were out cold, but the other was awake and delirious looking. He scrambled to get to his feet and failed to do so. He was also missing his cross necklace. 

 

Stiles stared. First at the group of them and then at the moving ones neck. He could almost feel each thump he was so close. 

 

“You want to, feed on a living person, it’s truly… euphoria.” The doctor continued. “I recommend that you never cave and do it, because it is difficult to go back to the bagged stuff after… But, I put them here to test you. Your father and friends are coming, mere minutes away, you would be fully in control of you drained one of them now, these men who are here just to kill you…”

 

Stiles noticed the nurse’s position. She was stood just far enough away to look non threatening, but he knew if he made a dive for the pile of hunters, she would stop him. Or try to. It was really risky of them, but Derek was on the opposite side and he place a comforting hand on his forearm to bring his attention around. It was incredibly warm and Stiles couldn’t help but lean into the gesture. 

 

Before he knew it he was completely enveloped in a hug from the werewolf. Again, something that was almost common place among the teen version but completely new for the adult. But, furthermore, Stiles was encircled with his scent, with his warmth, with his… pulse beat, and he was also completely in control. 

 

He opened his eyes, that he didn’t even realize he had shut, and was greeted with Derek’s multicolored ones. 

 

He had so many questions, so many thoughts raced through his mind, but all Stiles could manage to blurt out was, “why are you still in town, now that you’re big again?” 

 

Derek’s crinkled eyes fell with the question. He didn’t respond before the gate of the cemetery burst opened and group of people enter to quickly for the newborn vampire to handle the change, led by Scott. The true alpha took in the three hunters on the ground and then the three vampires and Derek. 

 

“Did… did you do that, Stiles?” He asked in a pompously loud voice, pointing to the Calaveras. His tone suggested he could guess the answer. He was wrong. The entire pack, filed in behind him, adding six more pumping rhythms.

 

Stiles opened his voice to deny the claim, but Lydia cut him off. 

 

“We’re not going to harm you, but you’re a danger to the public…” Lydia started to say, but was interrupted when Stiles moved in a flash. 

 

Both the doctor and nurse tensed at the action, but didn’t intervene. Derek immediately felt the loss of the teen he was holding and despite his desperate want to hang on, could only turn in time to see Stiles standing face to face with Scott. Lydia was at the true alpha’s right and instinctively backed away as Stiles appeared so suddenly in front of them. 

 

“You don’t have to worry.” Stiles assured the redhead with a flick of his eyes in her direction. “I’m sure you taste bitter.”

 

Lydia’s mouth dropped open at the insult but she didn’t get an opportunity to defend herself as Stiles continued.

 

“Scott.” He said with a softer voice. “I didn’t hurt these people. I didn’t hurt Allison or Aiden. I didn’t hurt the people at the hospital and I didn’t want the sheriff’s station to explode. I hate what happened to coach. But that wasn’t me. I may be a supernatural creature now, same as you, but I don’t intend to start making those mistakes. You control yourself, right? Why would you think, even for a second, that I wouldn’t be able to as well?” Stiles didn’t wait for a response.

 

Standing as close as he was to the others was difficult. It wasn’t the same as Derek and he meant to return to the older werewolf’s side, but found himself going for a new target that had just arrived. His dad. 

 

The sheriff and deputy Parrish must have been just a second slower than the pack and Stiles wasn’t sure how he missed the additional heartbeats initially, as they were clear as day now. Maybe it was because it was so easy to hug Derek that he tried it, but the young vampire found himself almost tackling his father to the ground, certainly startling the older Stilinski. 

 

If he was shocked, however, the sheriff didn’t show it as he clung on to his son tightly. This time both of the more experienced vampires did move to the pair on the floor’s side, ready to intervene if necessary. It wasn’t. Stiles looked a little rigid, as if he was choosing not to breathe again, but he was maintaining his human-like self as he apologized to his dad over and over again. 

 

“Son…” Was all the sheriff could manage to say in between hugs.

 

“Extraordinary.” Dr. Lavin admitted, breaking the Stilinski bubble that had tuned everyone else out. “Such control…”

 

“Shouldn’t be possible and I doubt it will last.” The latest person to arrive said grimly taking in the scene. This time Araya was alone. Presumably, her nephew was seeking medical attention, as she herself had bandaged arms. 

 

She moved towards the group slower than normal, but she already clutched the glass vile of holy water ready. The sheriff moved his hand to his gun. Stiles hissed. 

 

“I’ll teach him control.” The doctor announced. “He is obviously going to be a gifted student.” 

 

“Stay away from him!” Derek growled and moved to impede the huntress’s path. 

 

“He’s not going to hurt anyone!” Scott piped up, and fortunately he sounded sure of himself, for once. 

 

“He’s our friend!” Danny called out. 

 

“And we trust him!” Malia said. 

 

“Even if he is a badass vampire now…” Ethan added. 

 

Kira had her sword out ready to defend Stiles and Isaac did the same with his claws. 

 

“Really? You all trust him now?” Araya called out. “We had a deal, alpha!” She said to Scott. “You’re supposed to help me stop the vampire, it shouldn’t matter if he is a former member of your pack.” 

 

It was every bit the low blow she intended. Scott flinched.

 

Stiles remained steady, however, at his father’s side. If Parrish was surprised by any of the night’s events, he didn’t show it, as he moved himself strategically in front of his boss and boss’s son. The nurse moved back to the hunter’s unconscious bodies as one of them was somewhat lucid and still a threat. 

 

“You all defend him now?” Araya called out. “You weren’t so quick to do so when the missing bodies were showing up broken and bruised. That was him!” She pointed an aged finger in Stiles direction. 

 

Parrish shifted his footing in front of him and some rustling was heard in the direction of Scott’s pack. But his father remained firm at his side and Derek’s eyes only narrowed further at the leader of the Calavera clan. 

 

Araya wasn’t as pleased with the reactions to the accusations as she was hoping for. She huffed annoyed. “Need further proof that he is a danger to us all?” She questioned. “I had four hunters trailing him, and there are only three over there!”

 

Stiles refused to let his eyes see what his father’s reaction to those words were. He could only imagine the guilt that would be readable on Scott’s face. Derek, who stood in front of him, didn’t appear phased. That was promising.

 

“Ah, well, I’m afraid that one was me again.” A slightly out of breath Peter came silently into the cemetery, clutching something in his hand. His blue eyes found Derek’s before he continued, “you can find the body just beyond the bushes over there.”

 

Araya’s face soured. This was turning into a costly affair for the Mexican hunter. She didn’t respond.

 

Parrish and the sheriff exchanged a significant look, however, at the admission. 

 

“Stiles should have no more problems with control.” Peter announced to everyone as he zig-zagged his way around headstones to make it to the young vampire. He eyed the sheriff before closing the distance and giving something to his son.

 

It was a small wooden object in the shape of Derek’s tattoo. The spirals were smooth to Stiles’s touch, but aside from admiring the simplistic beauty, he didn’t understand what significance this object held. 

 

“The triskelion.” Peter explain. “Hale family tradition for learning control. He won’t attack unprovoked while holding it.”

 

He sounded so sure of himself, that Stiles squeezed the wooden object tightly, while stumbling over his thanks. Derek glanced at the object but didn’t make any indication if it was real or not. 

 

“That’s what Kate was after?” Araya breathed out, with daunting realization. “All this trouble for that little thing?” She sounded unimpressed. 

 

“Afraid so.” Peter confirmed. “I suppose the Argents are skipping town?” He asked as his face darkened.

 

“I asked Chris not to.” The sheriff informed him. “All of you hunters are being questioned.” He told Araya. “We had a break in down at the range a week ago. I’m going to need to see registration for all of your weapons…” 

 

The older woman paled. 

 

“You do all have proper documentation? Passports?” He asked her, knowing the truth already. All too often the hunter’s held themselves above the law, he had saw it in Chris and Gerard and he could see it now in the way Araya avoided having to answer the question. 

 

“I have a son to reunite with.” The sheriff continued. “I’ll be busy tonight. But, when the morning comes, I’ll expect you all to report to the station by noon. Of course I’ll have my officers sitting on you, waiting to take action, if you fail to do so.” 

 

The huntress didn’t take too kindly to the threat.

 

“I’m taking my son home, he has the Hale control thingy and as you can see he is not the threat here.” The sheriff continued. “You will not follow.” 

 

Stiles was never more thankful that his father held such a position of power. Home. He was going home with his dad! All because of this wooden triskelion? It didn’t seem right. He was still struggling to keep his father’s pulse point from overwhelming him. Honestly, he thought he was doing so well because he kept his eyes buried into Derek’s back. The werewolf hugged him, centered him, defended him. And he could have left town, and yet here he was.

 

Peter cleared his throat. “I, uh, could keep an eye on them, make sure the Calaveras that are still alive show up tomorrow.” 

 

Stiles’s dad turned to him and asked if he was going to be turning himself in prior to noon as well. With the silence as his answer the sheriff moved his son forward, and then stopped. He turned around and spoke a few private words to his wife’s grave and then continued. The doctor moved to go with too, as did Derek. It was an awkward drive, in which Stiles was sure he would break the triskelion he was focusing on it so much, to stop himself from shifting.

 

Melissa greeted them at the door, with a hug. Stiles smelled her familiar perfume. Her coconut hair care products, and most of all the alluring scent of her blood. His eyes went black, teeth sharpened, all he had to do was open his mouth, her neck was already right there…

 

He was spun away and shoved into the corner of the other side of the room before he could finish that thought. Dr. Lavin had him pinned by his wrist, but it was Derek that squeezed his way between the vampires and ordered Stiles to focus on him. 

 

“Here my voice!” The werewolf ordered of him. “Listen to me, just me, nothing else.” 

 

Stiles obeyed and slowly his vision receded. In his living room was his concerned father. A terrified Melissa that was now being held by Scott. The rest of his old pack. Both Dr. Lavin and his nurse, and even Peter. He turned his attention back to Derek. 

 

“I can hear them all, your heartbeats, it’s driving me crazy.” Stiles told the room at large. 

 

The doctor whispered something to his nurse and she disappeared. “I can help you with control. It takes years but you can come to my cellar, it’s safer for you there, and you’ll be able to keep the rhythm at bay before you know it.” He explained. “I barely feed these days, once a month or so.” He continued.

 

“Feed?” Scott asked. “On living people? Like my mom.” He added still holding her and was once again unable to look at Stiles. 

 

“No, no, it’s been centuries since we done such a thing.” Dr. Lavin waved off the concern with a hand. “We have donators, people like yourselves, actually, people who are aware and want to keep the vampire population from expanding.” He added, thoughtfully.

 

“Why is it so difficult for me?” Stiles asked. He had relied on his not breathing technique to get the question out without shifting again. 

 

“You are doing an amazing job, really.” The doctor assured. “I wanted to have you locked away by the time you reached this point, but you change so well into and back out of your true form now. It’s natural that you’d want to try feeding on the living.”

 

“Why did you do this to me?” Stiles asked before the other man had even finished his insignificant response.

 

“You… you were dying, slowly, but still expiring, and you were so clever…” The older man tried to explain. “I planned to tell you about it first. Give both you and your dad the option. Frontotemporal dementia didn’t have to be the end for you.”

 

“I could have been a werewolf, though!” Stiles shot back. 

 

“Could you?” The doctor asked. “You weren’t telling your friends about your illness, I asked you almost every appointment. Initially, we had time, and yes, I supposed that could have been a way, too. But, you were in that fatal car accident. Honestly, we made it just in time.”

 

The room, which murmured occasionally while the doctor explain, silenced at that statement. They had all thought he was dead. And now he wasn’t, in a manner of speaking.

 

“I’m… glad you were there for him.” Melissa admitted from her place behind her son. “Stiles I’m sorry, you had to go through this, but I’m so glad your still here with us.” She added as she pushed her way past to stand by the sheriff. Her heartbeat increased a little with nerves as she moved closer to the two vampires in the room. 

 

Stiles appreciated the meaning behind the action, however. And felt himself relax a little. 

 

“So he goes with you? For how long? And then just comes back here?” Scott asked the doctor. 

 

“What?!” Stiles quickly protested. “I’m not going anywhere!” 

 

“You can’t stay here, if your going to attack the town!” Scott pointed out. 

 

Stiles failed to respond but was thankful that Derek held him back.

 

“Usually I would say fifty to a hundred years…” Dr. Lavin announced as if this number wasn’t absurd. 

 

“No!” The sheriff protested immediately. Stiles agreed. 

 

“I think it won’t take him nearly as long, he’s such a natural!” The older man continued.

 

“What about the… thing.” Stiles’s father pointed to the wooden object that was still in his son’s hand. 

 

“It’s just a centering point. A point of reference when learning control over your wolf, Kate was wrong to think this would have helped her.” Peter told them all.

 

“Alpha, beta, omega.” Derek said pointing to each spiral, fondly. “Say it, try and focus on that and keep your control.”

 

Stiles did, repeatedly. He felt stupid and noticed that every eye was still trained on him. If this turned out to be some elaborate joke… He could almost here the nogitsune laughing at him. The memory sent a chill through him. He thought about the endless riddles; what three things cannot be hidden for long? The sun, the moon, and the truth. 

He whispered it at first before the cycle of words were loud enough for the non werewolves to hear. He traced each spiral with each word, as he formed his own mantra.

 

“Good, that’s good, Stiles.” Derek encouraged. “Now you just need to find an anchor, and I think you’ve got it.” 

 

“Well that took a lot less time than fifty years.” Malia pointed out the obvious. 

 

The chanting did help. The thrumming of heartbeats was almost tuned out to background noise while he spoke. Although it was starting to become more apparent as he remembered where he stood and how full his house currently was.

 

“I think we should talk pack.” Ethan announced. “I want to join Derek’s.”

 

“Now is not the time.” Isaac reminded them. 

 

“No one needs to switch packs, we can figure out a co-alpha situation!” Kira suggested brightly. 

 

“I want to be in the pack with the vampires…” Malia said pointedly. 

 

Lydia shook her head. “Stiles is going to have to go with the doctor…”

 

“No! I’m not!” Stiles quickly defended himself. 

 

“Is Derek even staying here?” Danny asked his boyfriend.

 

“No one’s switching packs just yet.” Scott announced in his alpha voice.

 

“Are you and alpha again?” Stiles asked Derek. 

 

The werewolf flashed his red eyes.

 

“He can full shift now too!” Peter added the praise. 

 

Stiles wasn’t even sure what that meant exactly, but he wanted to see. He knew Laura was capable of turning into a wolf… Had Derek done that too?

 

“Are you staying here in Beacon Hills?” Ethan asked.

 

Everyone turned to Derek who obviously didn’t like having the attention back on him. He looked at Stiles and the sheriff before he answered. 

 

“No.” He stated simply. 

 

This caused an uproar from half of Scott’s pack. The sheriff looked disappointed too. Melissa moved to console him and Peter just looked expectantly at his nephew. It was Stiles, however, who felt as if he had just received a blow to his chest. Of course Derek was leaving, he was just sticking around long enough to help stop the vampire problem and now that the problem was identified (Guess what? It was Stiles, again!) he could return to what ever it was he did when he left here. 

 

It was silly of Stiles to hope for anything different. Wrong for him to think Derek had stayed because of him. 

 

Derek must have noticed the shift in his mood, because he physically had to scoop Stiles head up to look him in the eyes. It was a rather intimate gesture. And had Stiles been human, he knew his cheeks would have reddened at the touch. He couldn’t force himself to look at the reborn alpha directly, allowing his eyes to skirt around the room before finally he had no choice but to look at the man who still held his attention on him, waiting. 

 

“How do you feel about Brazil?” Derek asked him once he finally looked up. “You and Peter are both technically dead. It’s not a good idea for you to be seen around here, not so soon…”

 

Stiles felt the moment his body decided to breathe again. He glanced at his dad. His father, could he leave him? Should he? He looked at Dr. Lavin. The older man showed no ill will at the thought, but would he put up a protest? His nurse returned and even though Stiles didn’t see it, he knew she had a bag of blood for him, presumably stolen from the hospital. He looked a Peter, who couldn’t help the smug look he wore on his face. He glanced at Scott and Lydia and everyone else he once called a friend. None of them looked as upset as his dad, and that was understandable, but he couldn’t shake the sense of relief he saw reflected in Scott’s puppy eyes. 

 

He kept looking at Scott as he muttered out, “yeah… yeah, lets go visit Cora.” 

 

The two friends continued to stare at each other as the room erupted into a protest yet again. Stiles only looked away when the crimson liquid was shoved in his direction, by none other than his father who tried his best to appear understanding. 

 

This new life was certainly going to be different.


End file.
